The Adventures of Kikumari Katsu and Nekomari the cat
by jessicajadedixon
Summary: kikumari is a seemingly normal little girl who just wants to fit in. but she isn't normal as she will find out soon enough. she is born in the hidden leaf village as member of a clan i made up. the katsu clan (katsu meaning victory) is a clan of ninjas whom train ninja cats. just as kiba's family trains ninja dogs. her cat nekomari is always by her side no matter the danger.
1. Chapter 1

`"Bye mom!" Kikumari yells as she runs down the dirt road. "Have fun sweetie and learn a lot of!" her mother yells back from the doorway. "I will!" she looks up on her head "come on Nekomari we don't want to be late!" she pats the kitten on the head and it meows. "Mom must have a lot of trust in me to let me take you with me to my first day at the ninja academy." she smiles and the kitten lets out a small purr.

As she runs she gets lost in thoughts about how many friends she'll make. "I bet my friends will be so nice... and they'll love cats just like me! And they'll want to play with us." she begins daydreaming about playing hide and seek with the other students as she comes up to the academy gate. "They'll never find us up here Nekomari." she giggles to herself thinking of using her skills to hide in a tree. Suddenly she is stopped when she collides with another student.

"Ow..." she rubs her head and looks up. "Just who do you..." she starts but she is interrupted. "HEY! Watch where you're going!" the boy stands up and brushes off his coat. "I..." "Just who are you anyway?" he says looking down at her. "Kikumari... my mom calls me Kiku sometimes..." she begins being interrupted again "I'm Kiba, and next time stay out of my way! Come on Akamaru!" he called out then walked off followed by a tiny yapping puppy. "Well that guy wasn't very nice was he Neko." she said standing up and dusting off her clothes.

She walks into the building and finds her classroom. "This is it..." she says opening the door. She looks around at the other students until see recognizes one of them. "Oh no... I have a class with him... I better sit on the other end of the room. Not like I have a problem with him just that... I don't think I want to sit by Kiba until I have a chance to apologize for this morning." she goes to the other end of the room to sit behind a boy with black hair.

Class begins with Kiba sneaking out with sum other boys and getting in trouble. Class ends and everyone is dismissed home.

Kiku starts walking home. "Well other than that boy I sure did have a good day... what about you Neko?" "meowwwww." a barking sound erupts from behind them as Kiba's dog rushes towards them. Nekomari jumps down and runs up a tree with the puppy right behind her. "What!?" Kiku runs over to the base of the tree and tries to push the dog away. "Leave my kitty alone! You bad doggy!" Akamaru turns and growls at her. "Akamaru! What are you... oh it's you again." Kiba said stopping by the tree. "Your dog is chasing my poor kitty." "And here I was worried." he rolls his eyes. "Come on Akamaru don't waste your time lets go home."

Kiba and Akamaru leave. "That boy is such a pain... come on Neko... let's go home..." she walked home.


	2. Chapter 2

-2 years later- age enough for graduating the ninja school

"Kiku Hun are you ready for school?" her mother yells up the steps. "Yeah mom I'm just... have you seen Neko this morning?" a voice trails down from upstairs. "Yeah she's down here with Basmuri and Limaru having breakfast." After she had breakfast, brushed her teeth and hair, she packed her lunch and make sure she had both their lunches. "Ok bye mom!" she yells as she leaves. "You think we should tell her ma..." Kiku's father says leaning against the door frame to the kitchen. "It's better not to involve her right now... she wouldn't be able to help anyway." mom say's starting to load dishes into the sink. "She'll have to be told about it sooner or later. Our clan is shrinking... and with the threat of the other clans raising everyday... what do we do." "Nothing... the third Hokage will not let them chase us out." she said firmly turning the water in the sink off. A loud crash sounded outside and screams could be heard from the streets. "What in the world..." both parents look out the window.

That night Kiku walked home alone as usual. The stillness of the night creeping up on her chilling her to the bone. "I hope mom and dad don't mind that I stayed a bit late practicing my kunai skills. At least I'm able to hit the target now..." Nekomari jumped down and stood in front of Kiku stiffing the air and then shuddered and jumps into her arms. "What's wrong Neko... is something up?" the cat looks towards the clans houses. Kiku looks up and saw smoke coming from the village. "Oh no! What has happened to our home!" she said making a run for the gate.

"Step back this area is off limits... the structures are unsafe only professionals are allowed past this point." the Jōnin said grabbing her arm before she could run through the gate. "But... I live here... what happened!" she screamed trying to pull away. Just as the Jōnin is about to explain a big white dog with red markings on its face jumps out of the burning village and darts past them. "a dog... but this is a village of cats..." she watched the dog as it rounded the corner and disappeared." Maybe it saw the fire and thought it could help... but I guess he wasn't able to save anyone..." the Jōnin started then stopped himself and looked down at Kiku. "What do you mean?" she asked. "There's no point in lying... the katsu clan is gone... there is nobody left in the village not even an animal... it's all been burned to the ground."

"No... That's... that's not true... that can't be true!" she jerks away from the Jōnin and started running for the gate. "Wait you'll get hurt if you go in there!" the Jōnin screamed running after her. Kiku ran through the gate and down the dirt road towards her home. "Mom! Dad!" the building collapse around her but she ignores them and keeps running. "It's not true! Tell me it's not true." she pushed through the door to her house and runs in. "mom! Dad are you here! Answer me!" the frame of the door cracked and began to fall. She looks around the smoldering home. "Anyone!" she yells as loud as she can. "Get out of there! You're putting yourself in danger!" the Jōnin yelled from outside the house.

The frame of the door collapses in and now she's trapped in the burned down house. "Help me please! I can't get out!" she yells just as a piece of the ceiling gives way and falls on top of her. Her vision goes fuzzy drifting in and out of consciousness from inhaling too much smoke. "Mom... dad... save me... I know you're here... you can't be gone..." she blacks out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey... wake up... are you alive? Answer me... don't tell me mom wasted her time and got there too late?" she fades back into reality slowly. "She might be out for a few days Kiba... there's no telling... but she is alive." the medical ninja says calmly. "Ki...Kiba?" Kiku blinks her eyes open and see's Kiba and a few other older people with dogs standing beside her bed. "Finally! I thought you were going to be out forever." Kiba said sarcastically. "What... what are you doing here... where am I... where is my mother and father?" she said looking around dazed. "You know that wasn't very smart of you running into a burned down building like that... I mean I would never have thought you were so naive." Kiba said reaching down on the floor and picking up Nekomari. "by the way... you left this at the gate when you ran into the village..." he set the cat on the bed and it curls up under Kiku's arms and starts purring. "Neko! You brought me my cat...?" Kiba's mom "it took us awhile to get your kitty to come down from the tree it was hiding in." she laughed.

"Mom" Kiba frowned. "You're very lucky to be alive young lady... if our watch dog hadn't spotted the fire and investigated it then you might not be alive right now." she said looking down at her dog who looked up at her happily tong lolling out. "Alright I'm afraid your visiting time is done for today. The Hokage would like a word with Miss Katsu..." the medical ninja entered the room with the Hokage by her side.

The family nodded and left the room. "That was quite foolish... running into a burned building like that... you could have been killed Kiku." he spoke firmly to her. "I know I just..." Kiku started. "I know child I know... you thought you could save them... but it was too late before you even got there." he spoke softer now. Kiku started crying "so it's true then... everyone in the clan... is gone..." she looked up at the Hokage tears rolling down her eyes. "Yes I'm afraid we have not been able to recover anyone else from the blaze but you... and you're very lucky that Kiba's mother was there to help or you might not even have made it out alive. Then your clan would have died." he said looking out the window.

After a pause of silence. "And now you are without a home... I hope this will not make your studies to difficult." Kiku wiped the tears from her eyes. "No sir I... I will try to focus on my studies... do... do you know how the fire started?" the Hokage looked up at the sky and sighed. "No we do not know how this happened..." he turned back to Kiku." you may stay wherever you chose... for the time being I would like you to find a family to stay with..." he hands her a scroll. "I know this is hard for you. But you need to have someone to train with and shelter over your head. Normally I would pick for you but I haven't had time to think about it... with the recent events of the uchiha clan. Here is a list of families in the leaf village. Hopefully you can find one you like. When you've made your choice you can come back and see me in my office." without letting Kiku respond the Hokage turned and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"The nara clan... specializes in shadow technics... manipulation and possession. I don't know what do you think Neko?" Neko mewed softly. "Yeah I think we'll try another one..." she scans the scroll. "The Huyga clan... All members born into this clan possess the Byakugan, a kekkei genkai that gives them extended fields of vision and the ability to see through solid objects and even the chakra circulatory system, amongst other things, and expel chakra from any of the tenketsu in their body... oh that sounds neat but I feel like I wouldn't quite fit in there... right Neko? I don't think that's something I can just learn." the cat mewed again and Kiku looked for another family. "Bug manipulation... that's sounds creepy... next!" the kitten mewed in agreement. "oh hey that's Kiba's family there the Inuzuka clan... but being surrounded by dogs all the time could get very out of hand for us... I think we'll find somebody else... although... it was sure a good thing they came when they did..." the cat meowed and stretched her legs and laid down.

"I don't think I see anything in this stupid scroll!" she yells and throws it down on the floor. "What does he want me to do if I don't like anything from that list." the kitten jumps up in the window and meowed. "What Neko?" Kiku walks over to the window and looks out. "I wonder who that is... I've never seen that boy before..." she stares down at the training grounds not far from the hospital. "Maybe we should go see what he's up too? I mean down there by himself kicking that stump must be pretty boring..." she picks up Nekomari and heads down stairs and then out the front door towards the place where she had seen the boy.

"If I cannot do 100 kicks... then I will do 1,000 pushups." the boy was chanting over and over as he counted the amount of times he kicked the stump. "Excuse me... I'm sorry if I'm interrupting... but I thought you might like some company..." Kiku stood a few feet away from the boy. The boy turned quickly towards her. "I am Rock lee! And I am training to become a splendid ninja using only tijutsu!" he started kicking the stump again. "Tijutsu? But that only one of three skills a ninja can have... why not use tijutsu and genjutsu?" the boy stopped kicking and looked down. "Because I cannot..." Kiku looked surprised. "Really?" lee looked at Kiku. "Perhaps you would like to do some training exercises with me?" he got in a battle ready position. "Um... I guess... what kind of training... the clone thing they have us doing at school so we can become Genin?" she asked putting Nekomari down on the ground. "Fist to fist combat! It's the only thing I can do." he charged at Kiku who wasn't expecting him to be so fast.

Lee blew past her with ease and landed a kick to her back sending her face down into the dirt. "owww..." she groaned on the ground. "Sorry were you not ready?" "No its fine I just didn't know you were so fast. That's one heck of a kick... whatever you're doing is working..." "I train tirelessly for hours a day! I eat sleep and breath training to make my sensei proud!" she raised an eyebrow "but don't you get tired?" lee turned and looked up at the sky. "This training will make me the strongest tijutsu user in the 5 great nations. I cannot afford to rest when so much work has yet to be done." She smiled a bit thinking of how her father used to say the same thing. ( _Why would I stop training when there's so much work that I still have to do_.) "My dad used to say that... but I never really understood what it meant."

"If you don't mind I need to get back to my training." lee said turning around and started kicking the stump again. "Well good luck lee... I guess I'll see you around." Kiku turned and began to walk up the road. She walked to the remains of her old home. "Well I don't know where we are going to go Neko but maybe we should do like lee and get in as much training as possible." Kiku said looking at the cat. "we've been practicing chakra control in class and the art of cloning yourself... it's pretty easy but we should still practice anyway." she put her hands together and started to draw on her chakra then popped a clone of herself next to her.

"Look Neko I did it!" she smiled and then remembered when she had shown her mother that same move and how she had congratulated Kiku on being able to do a clone. Kiku was sad that she would not be able to receive praise from her parents anymore. "come on Neko... let's go see if anything survived the fire... maybe some of mom or dads stuff is still there." she climbed through the boarded up gate and squeezed her way into the small village. She walked down the path of wat was once her home. "Everything's all burned up... there's not a single building left standing... this is horrible." she walked to the main house where her and her family had lived. She pushed some burned wood out of the way and stepped into the remaining frame of the house. "There's nothing left here... but it won't hurt to look."

She searched the remains of the kitchen and found nothing. She tried the remains of the living room and still found nothing. "Man there's nothing here not a single thing." she headed back for the front door and the floor cracked under her feet and gave in. "what the!?" she fell into an underground room. "What is this place? I didn't know we had a basement." she looked around eyes adjusting to the dim light in the room. She walked forward into the darkness curious what she might find. Suddenly lanterns on the wall came on and lit the room up. "What is this? The lights just came on by themselves." Kiku continues to walk down the lit up path. "Man this hallway sure is long... I wonder what's down there."

At the bottom of the long pathway there is a door. "Neko... what do you thinks in there?" Nekomari looks at the door. "Yeah... the only way we'll find out is if we open It." she reaches for the door knob and turns it slowly. She walked into a small room lined with shelves that were filled with books. "Wow Neko... look at all these books... there must be a hundred of them." she walked to the small table in the middle of the room and picked up a metal box that was laying on the table. "I wonder what's in here?" she opened the box and took out the book that was inside. "Katsu clan jutsu book?" she open to the first page and thumbed through quickly. "Neko! Do you know what this is! it's the clans jutsu book that documents our keka genkai! And other jutsu members of the clan can use!" she looked at the other books on the shelves. "These are research books?" Nekomari runs to the door. "yeah I was thinking it was about time we got out of here, but I think I'll take this book with me..." she turned back to the table and saw a picture of her with her mother and father and their cats from back when she had first gotten Neko. "I think I might take this with me too."

-Outside the clan gate-

"Well Neko, I still don't know where we will be staying but at least I have this book now. I should start practicing right away!" she sat down by the gate and began reading the book. "There's all kinds of neat jutsu here... let's see..." she flipped to the end of the book. "Hey there's even a little written history in the back of this book." she began reading it out loud.

 _The katsu clan history_

 _The history of the katsu clan began with the forming of a great clan of cats and dogs alike. However the peace within the formed clan did not last as the cat lovers would always fight with the dog lovers. And so the great leader of the clans decided to split the groups in two and separate them to keep peace between both clans, and he named these clans katsu and Inuzuka._

 _But it wasn't long before the clans began to fight again this time over the amount of land each clan was given by the leader. The katsu clan elected a primary leader to cut the rule the Inuzuka had over them. And the Inuzuka clan raised up against this leader claiming that the katsu clan was ungrateful for the land which their leader had given them._

 _A civil war began among the two clans that day. But no matter how many battles were fought the katsu clan never won. In order to save what remaining people they had the leader decided to make a deal with the Inuzuka clan. For both clans to live in peace the katsu clan vowed they would build a civilization on the far side of the leaf village so that no more fighting would happen._

 _So the leader gathered the remains of his clan and moved them across the village. And they re-built their homes and lived in peace._

"The katsu clan used to be joined with the Inuzuka clan... wow I had no idea..." Neko mewed softly and looked into the trees. "Yeah I can sense it too... somebody's watching us..." Kiku looked up at the tree tops. "I know your there you can't fool these cat senses so you might as well come out." a shadow figure jumped down out of the tree's and landed in front of her. After a moment it stepped forward to reveal the boy from her class whom she had sat behind. "How did you know I was there?" the boy said scowling at her. "I am a katsu after all you didn't think that I wouldn't be able to sense you? Did you?" she said looking back at her book. "Don't you wonder why I'm watching you? Do you even care?"

She looked back at him. "What do you mean? I figured you just decided to stop and watch me sit here..." the boy turned around and scoffed. "Not entirely. You know my whole clan was wiped out too." she stared at him and thought back. "uchiha... so that's what the Hokage meant by problem with the uchiha clan..." the boy looked back at Kiku. "Yes I am Sasuke uchiha... the last uchiha." her eye widened. "Your home was destroyed too?" he looked at her his eyes began to fill with sorrow. "Not the way yours was but similarly. My clan was destroyed by my older brother... I'm the only one left." he turned away and stamped his foot into the ground making a small crater. "That awful... why would he do something like that?"

"How should I know... but I saw him... and I will have my revenge." he looked angrily at the sky. "You hear me Itachi! I will get stronger and one day I will come for you!" Kiku was started to get scared of the energy Sasuke was beginning to give off. "Um... Sasuke... are you ok?" he turned and jumped back into the trees and yelled back down to her. "I only came to see if itachi destroyed this place. But it seems like this was caused by something else. So I have nothing left to say to you." then he disappeared. "What a strange boy..."

Kiku stood up and began walking down the road back towards the town. "It's starting to get dark Neko... what should we do? I don't want to tell the Hokage I couldn't make my mind up." Neko sniffed the air and started walking off the path. Kiku followed Neko until they stopped in the middle of town. "What is it Neko?" Neko looked up at a close by building and Kiku followed her gaze. "The trouble making kid from our class that always gets Kiba in trouble... what was his name... Naruto? Yeah that sounds right. I wonder what he's doing up there?" Naruto was sitting on a railing near the top of an apartment building. "Is that what you dragged me over here for Neko?" Neko scratched the top of her head with her back paws and then continued on. "Lead the way Neko."

Finally and hour after night fall they stopped. "well this might be as good a place as any to rest... it's not far from the school and it looks like this hallow truck might have just enough space for the both of us..." she sat down under the tree. "I'm sure this will be fine I mean I would hate to be a burden on someone's family... and I didn't really see anybody on that list that I wanted to live with..." Kiku pulled the katsu clan jutsu book out of her backpack and opened it to the first page.

 _Jutsu one man beast transformation_

 _The art which allows a person to become an animal or an animal to become a person for as long as the user of the jutsu wishes. This is the art which give the clan the ability to connect chakras with another to form other jutsu like the claw over claw and the method of changing into one massive beast. This art can also be used on a clone._

Kiku read the jutsu and looked at Neko. "It says here that we should be able to change you into a copy of me... I guess that means I could turn you into a clone of me?" she placed her hands together to draw on her chakra. "Feline art! Man beast transformation!" but nothing happened. She tried again but still nothing. "ok one more time and we'll call it a night." just as she was about to draw on her chakra lee came through the trees on his hands followed by somebody else who was older but looked just like him. "Lee? Is that you? What are you doing?" lee lost his balance and fell backwards being startled by Kiku. The older man stopped and pushed himself into the air and landed on his feet. "Come on now lee you have to learn to keep your balance..." "I'm sorry Gai sensei I will do better I promise!" he jumped up and stood in a salute to his sensei. "Gai sensei? So this is the teacher of yours you spoke about when we talked outside the hospital. "Oh my friend Kiku. How surprising to see you outside still and not in bed like everyone else? Perhaps you are doing some kind of late night training?"

Gai looked at her and noticed the book. "No lee I think she's just reading..." Kiku closed the book and turned red. "Actually I was training... but it doesn't seem like I'm able to do this jutsu right now..." lee looked up at Gai. "Sir! Perhaps she should join us in our pursuit to walk around the leaf village on our hands!" Kiku and Neko exchanged a worried glance. "Um... no I'm fine I don't..." "Well lee I don't see why not... but isn't tomorrow big clone jutsu test? You are still in school aren't you young friend?" she gasped realizing she had completely forgotten. "Your right! Tomorrow is the big test! And if I fail I won't get to become a Genin!"

Gai looked back at lee. "Perhaps another time lee she needs to rest now let's get back to work!" they both jumped back onto their hands and started on again. After they disappeared into the brush she took a deep breath. "How could I forget something so important... tomorrow will decide if I am ready to train or not..." and I'll be able to accept jobs from the Hokage and actually make money. I can't afford to fail... because..." her stomach rumbles loudly. "I can't fail because if I do... I'll starve..." Neko cuddled up next to her and closed her eyes. Very soon they had both drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

She opened her eyes as sun flittered through the tops of the trees. She sat up and rubbed her eyes and stretched with a big yawn. "What time is it?" she wondered and looked over at her cat who was still asleep. "Get up lazy kitty time for school." so poked the kitten gently and it stretched out then got up. Kiku gathered her school bag and picked up Neko of the ground.

She walked through the trees and pushed through a thicket of bushes coming out into the school yard. "We can do this Neko we've been practicing." she walked into class with a half grin thinking about all the things she would do once she passed her class. "Glad you could finally join us Kiku your next up go take your seat." Iruka sensei said as she walked in. she looks up at the clocked confused. "I'm two hours late!" she said in dismay. "Yeah what'd you do sleep in a tree?" Kiba smarted off from the back of the classroom. "Yeah I did..." she whimpered and took her seat.

The trouble making boy Naruto was at the front of the class trying to produce a clone, but he kept failing. She saw Sasuke sitting in front of her and decided to ask him how many he'd been able to make. "Sasuke how many clones did you do?" but he just kept staring forward. "Maybe he didn't hear me? Oh well." she slumped back in her seat. "Ok Naruto go sit back down. Alright Kikumari your turn." Iruka said writing down on his paper that Naruto did not pass. She stood up and walked to the front. "Please I know I can do it just give me another chance." Naruto pled. "Go sit down Naruto you had your chance." Iruka said agitatedly. Everyone laughed and pointed at him as he sat down.

"Ok Kiku just produce a simple clone that's all you have to do." Iruka said holding his clipboard. "Just one I can do this I've only done it a hundred times before." she said taking her stance and beginning to draw her energy. Neko was standing next to her watching her. "Clone jutsu!" at first she thought she had done it, then everyone began laughing. "What?" she turned to look at it confused then gasped. "This is not what I had intended..." she looked at the clone who was a perfect replica of herself except it was a boy. "How did I even manage to...?" then it turned to her. "Ha-ha got you Kiku" it said to her smiling ear to ear. "Kiba? But then where's the?" she started. "The clone it never happened I was just messing with you cause we look the same." he laughed.

"The clone never appeared? But I... I practiced..." she began to draw her energy again. In her confusion she forgot she was supposed to be making a clone. "I can't look like a fool in front of these kids they'll laugh at me. Feline art! Man beast transformation!" she turned to Kiba hoping he wasn't trying to joke her around anymore, then she saw another her standing in front of him. "I did it!" she screamed victoriously. "Well not the way I would have liked but you produced a clone none the less so you pass." Iruka said scowling at Kiba for making a scene. "Now will the two of you please go sit down... and stop disrupting class Kiba or I'll call your mother again." he said pointing to the seats with his pin. "Yes sir sorry!" Kiba said hastily and ran to his seat.

"You guys need to go in one at a time now." Iruka stressed as he left the room. "Hey that was pretty cool how'd you do that?" Kiba said to Kiku from across the room. "I really don't know I practiced it last night but I couldn't get it to work I can't believe it worked this time." she said looking at Nekomari who purred. "That's just like that one jutsu my mom is trying to teach Me." he said kind of excitedly. "Well our clans did use to be one clan maybe some of our jutsu are the same?" she looked back at Kiba. Then the room got really quite. "The same clan?" he seemed confused as did everyone else. She reached in her bag and pulled out the katsu clan book. "Yeah see the history of my clan is in this book... it talks about how they used to be the same clan..." Kiba jumped up and ran over looking at the book.

"that's impossible I mean I just thought when my mom said to make sure you were ok after the fire it was because she was worried about your safety?" he said reading the pages over and over trying to make sense of the words. "It says it right here." by now other kids had started gathering around and trying to look in the book too. one at a time they all went and everyone but naruto passed.

-a few days later-

"class meet your sensei. First up is Hinata, Kiba, and Shino your with Kurnai sensei." he pointed to a pretty woman with big reddish colored eyes. "Let's begin right away." they got up and followed her out. Kiba gave Kiku the thumbs up on the way out. "Next team Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura." Sakura jumped out of her seat and grinned at another girl the two stared intently at each other then they followed their sensei outside. "Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji you're with Asuma" they stood up and followed Asuma outside. "Kiku... we don't have an instructor for you but you earned your headband please come collect it now." he pointed to the single headband on his desk. "But Naruto didn't even pass?" she says looking at the door in dismay. "He did he managed to make a clone after class so we let him pass anyway you don't need to be here anymore so go ahead and take this and head out." she closed the book slide it into her bag went to the front collected her headband and then left the classroom.


	6. Chapter 6

"What should I do now...? I've got nowhere to turn no one to teach me... and no family to turn to for support." she walked down the hall and looked outside. She saw Sasuke and Naruto running around outside it appeared they were looking for something. "I bet their having lots of fun." she walks outside and heads towards her home village. "Where do you think you're going?" Gai says speeding over to her from across the field. "I don't know they ran out of instructors so I guess I'm on my own." she looked over at Neko who was looking back at her. "Then come train with us it's not like you've got anything better to do and lee wants to see what you're made of." Gai smiles at Kikumari. Her eyes light up at the chance to train under Gai. "You mean it... you'd really take me on as a student."

She follows Gai over to his group who's sitting on a bench. "Look what we have here." the smarty pants boy sitting next to lee sneers. "Hi I'm..." she starts "why if it is not my close friend Kiku and her cat! I heard you did a most splendid job during your exam." he smiles. "Oh please anyone can make a clone it's not that difficult." the snobby boy spoke again. "Negi there's no need to be rude." the girl spoke now. "This is Kikumari we met the other day in the training yard and then once more while I was training with Gai. Kiku this is Negi and Tenten my team mates."

"It's great to meet you." Tenten said smiling. "whatever it's not like any of this matters... come the Chūnin exams I'll pass and then I won't have to deal with you anymore." he said turning his head. "Now Negi that's no way to speak to your team mates you'd think by now you'd have learned that." Gai said "anyway the graduation today has left little Kat here without a sensei so..." "You have agreed to take her onto our team and train her with us that's so kind of you sensei!" lee interrupted. "Yes, I have agreed to train her but first I'd like to test her metal lee..." "I would be glad to sensei!" they finished each other's statements again. "Do they always finish each other's sentences like that?" she asked Tenten. "Yeah it can get kind of annoying sometimes." she replied.

Lee grabs Kikumari hand and then begins to lead her out into the field. Once they stop he turns to her and bows then takes his ready stance. "Please do not hold back! Come at me with everything you've got!" the others line up close by to watch. "Ok Neko you just stay back I don't want you to get hurt ok." she sets Nekomari down on the ground and gets in her ready stance. "Last time I went against him I was impressed by his speed... I can only assume he's gotten better and faster since then... I'll have to watch myself..." she thought to herself. "Begin!" Gai shouted.

Lee bolts forward and goes for a kick from the side. Kiku jumps and manages to evade the kick then she reaches to punch lee but he's too quick and he jumps in the air. He throws his leg out and begins to come down on her hard. "I'm not going to be able to dodge that!" she braces for the impact but it never comes. She blinks and looks up. "Negi why did you block my move." lee flipped backwards off of Nagi's arm. "I was simply stopping you from hurting her. You're not strong enough to beat me but you're stronger than her." he scoffed and turned around towards Kiku. "Consider this your one time save. You better shape up fast or you won't last long as a ninja." he stormed off back towards the booth.

"Negi is right maybe I should have had Tenten do it... I really misjudged her power level." he motioned for Tenten and lee to switch places. "I'm very sorry Kiku I was thinking forgive Me." he bowed again and switched with Tenten. "it's alright lee honestly I thought I was a lot stronger I just froze when I saw you coming." lee nodded "alright then let me see your strength." Tenten pulled a scroll from her back. "I have to warn you though I fight with weapons so you better watch out so you don't get cut." she smiles and pulls the scroll open. "I'm not too worried." Kiku says getting ready. "Begin!" Gai shouts.

Tenten summons a kunai and throws it. Kiku dodges it easy then sweeps low to the ground and runs forward. Tenten summons a ton of kunai that fly off the paper right for Kiku. Kiku dodges between them skillfully with the grace of a cat then sweeps her leg across the ground tripping Tenten. "Very well that's enough!" Gai yells across the field stopping the match. "Tenten I'm very disappointed you need to train more. Kiku welcome to the team." they all went to sit back down. "Don't think you've accomplice much Tenten is just a weakling. You'd never win against a real opponent." Negi smarts off.

"Here I want you to have this Kiku." Gai pulls out a green suit and heads it to her. "Do you just walk around with green jumps suits?" Tenten says. "Thank you Gai sensei..." she runs off to change into the green jumpsuit. "it needs something else... if my coat wasn't all covered in burn marks and soot oh well." she looks at her old clothes one last time remembering when she had got them from her parents. "Theres no point in keeping this now its too beat up." Then she threw them in the trash and ran back to the others.

"Now the Chūnin exams are about to start here in a couple months and I want team Gai to enter this year. Thing is though you can only enter in teams of three so Kiku is either going to have to be separate or not enter. Speaking of Kiku here she is. Kiku if you train hard enough you can enter the Chūnin exams this year." he grins "that sounds fun but... I only just graduated the..." "It'll be fun Kiku!" lee butts in. "you are so annoying lee. Why do you always butt into people's conversations?" Negi puts in his two cents. "Why are you so hard on lee Negi... that's just part of his personality? He's excited just back off." Kikumari spits back before realizing that was a bad idea. "I blocked lee's kick that would most likely have hospitalized you and you think sassing me is a good idea? you really want to pick a fight with me?" he stares at Kiku. "I'm not scared of you Negi. You're just a bully." Kiku says back trying to act tough. Negi stands up and rolls his eyes.

"The Huyga clan is known for a few things one is the ability to block off others chakra points." he stands in front of Kiku staring at her. "Chakra points what's that mean?" Kiku starts to ask. Negi jabs her in the shoulder and she collapses. "I... I can't move..." she tries to move and can't. "Negi that was uncalled for..." Tenten said rushing over. "Alright that's quite enough you kids." Gai said bending down he pushes the point again more gently releasing the point. "How did he do that..." she said trying to catch her breath. "The chakra blocking a skill of the Huyga clan it's pretty much that they shoot their own chakra into your body to paralyze you." He helped her up.

"I will be taking part in the Chūnin exams I don't need these two but it can't be helped." he scoff and storms away. "Why is he so cranky." she wondered. "Let's get training then!" lee nodded and jumped over the railing down to the ground. "I'll race you Kiku!" he stared jogging in place. "I'm totally going to beat you lee!" she yelled excitedly and jumped down after him. They raced down the road speeding past everyone Neko was in second after lee who was in the lead. "I'm winning!" lee ran at full power. Kiku was glad when they got to the training ground because she was out of breath. after a moment to regain herself "Come on Kiku lets start training now." lee said beginning to punch and kick the air. "Right!" she nodded

After training she lays collapsed on the ground. "gee that was intense how do you do it lee?" lee is over by some other equipment still training. "I've been doing this a while it's easy for me but maybe you should go home and rest." she looked up at the sky which was sunset pink. "I don't have a home to go to." lee stopped and turned towards Kikumari. "You haven't got a home?" she started to cry when she thought about her family. "It's gone..." lee looked sad then he bucked up and stated confidently. "Don't worry I'm sure you will find another place... one that's even better than the first." he went back to kicking and punching a straw dummy. "Ok then we'll I guess I'll see ya tomorrow then I'll go find somewhere to sleep... come on Neko." she stands up and walks into the tree's.

"It wouldn't be too bad to just live out here... I wonder if we can find that tree from last night." she looks at the trees and suddenly she stops. "What's that Neko?" she looked up at a weird shaped tree. Upon closer inspection she saw that it was a really old tree house covered in dirt and vines. Curious she climbed up to it and looked inside. "It looks like this has been here for years... the outside is old and dirty but it doesn't look that bad on the inside."

"Looks like we could just live here Neko... what do you think? I mean sure it's not great but we could clean it fix it up a bit and it'd be good as new." Neko jumps up onto the foot of the old creaky bed and lays down. "What are you doing in here?" the voice startles Kiku and she spins around. "Sasuke you scared me. What are you doing out here?" "I saw you walking through the woods and I thought I'd follow you... why are you staying in this dump?" he looked around unamused. "I don't have anywhere else to go..." Sasuke scoffed. "Well if you say so I just wanted to see... I mean I was... augh words ok let's not lie here I was following you to see if you were ok." "What do you mean?" "Your clan is gone my clan is gone... I thought maybe you would feel like maybe bad I don't know forget it..." he turns around to leave. "I do feel bad but... why do you care? You don't talk to anybody why me?" "Because I know how you feel... everyone you ever loved is gone but at least you still have your cat friend I have no one but a traitorous brother. Who betrayed my entire family."

"You followed me because you wanted someone to talk to about what happened? I guess I'm here if you need to talk but I don't know what to say." Kiku turned around and pulled the picture out of her bag. "No only revenge will help me... I was going to ask if you would seek revenge on the ones who killed your family." she stared for a moment at the picture. "Of course I would... but right now I'm not strong enough to beat anyone including somebody who can take down an entire village... all by himself..." Sasuke paused for a moment thinking. "Your right once I get stronger I will have the revenge I seek. Bye." Sasuke jumps into the trees and disappears. "He just wanted me to tell him whether or not to seek it... typical boy... I bet he really didn't even care if I didn't feel good or not... typical boy..." she climbed into bed and opened up the family history book. "Tomorrow I start training with Gai's team in preparation for the Chūnin exams... I must study this book hard to learn all I can about my clan." she curls up with her book and goes to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

-6 months later- after training and getting stronger and learning a new move

"Wake up Kiku! Today is the day! The Chūnin exams await!" lee stands at the foot of Kiku's bed jumping up and down like an excited puppy. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes and looks out the window. "Lee it's not even sun up yet... don't you ever sleep." "It's time to go right now or we'll miss the first part of the exams! Come on!" he said then sped out the door. "Alright I'm coming hold on!" she jumped out of bed packed her bag and ran after him Neko right behind her.

"Where did lee go?" she looked around. Down an ally she thought she saw lee so she ran but it was just a group of people standing around exchanging words. She saw Sasuke and Naruto and their team mate talking to some other people. "they don't look like they're from here i've never seen them before. that red head sure is cute though..." The other group walked away. "Don't worry about it Naruto let's just get to the exam or we'll be late." Sasuke told Naruto who was making faces at the other people. "I guess I might as well follow them because I have no idea where I'm going." she followed them.

"Welcome to part 1 of 3 the Chūnin exams this is the written part of the test anyone caught cheating is out! Go!" the man standing in the front of the room was very mean looking but Kiku was more worried about the questions. "Oh wow these are hard... how am I supposed to know this stuff... what Neko? Some people already had answers written on their papers? That doesn't make since..." Neko told Kiku the answers. "Well that wasn't too hard I guess... still I feel like I cheated because I didn't really know the answers myself." then she looked around and saw that most of the participants were cheating in their own way. "Maybe the point is to cheat but not get caught?"

By the time the test was over half the people had quit because they couldn't answer the questions or because they got caught cheating and were kicked out. "Alright everyone whose left in here passes." the man began to collect the papers while everyone filed out into the halls. "I see you passed good job! I would not have passed had Tenten not helped me..." lee said from behind her. "those were some of the toughest questions I've ever seen in my life." lee nodded "yeah tomorrow the fun test begins I don't know why it's at the forest of death entrance but I bet it'll be a blast." he smiled.

"Welcome to part 2 the survival challenge" Anko the master of the part says. "In this task each team will be given a scroll heaven or earth... your goal is to get both and then get to the marked location on your map before 3 days is up." she pointed at the booth. "Oh this is going to be challenging because we're the only ones on our team Neko... maybe we should quit now and just watch..." Neko agrees they walk over to the booth "we aren't going to be able to do this challenge because I entered by myself... but is it ok if I just watch the others... I'm on team Gai but we could only go in teams of 3..." the lady looks at Kiku surprised. "You want to retire? Well I don't see any harm in you watching just know that once you quit you won't be allowed to help them in any way." Kiku nods "ok as long as I can watch and make sure their ok I feel bad quitting but I can't do this by myself." Anko nods. "Very well then I could use some extra eyes in the field. How would you like a special job?" Kiku gets excited.

"Whatever I can do to help." Anko turns to the booth instructors "I'm heading in you know how this goes don't' open those gates till your supposed to and make sure that everyone makes it inside the gates before you close them and make sure you close them." they nod "alright come with me were heading for the tower." Kikumari waves to lee before then following Anko into the woods. "Now your job is going to be to sit in the tower and make sure nobody is cheating you're going to watch the screens and feed me over the radio if you see anything at all suspicious. I'm going to be out in the field watching making sure nothing goes wrong..." Kiku nods "I think I can handle that."

Once in the tower in the screen room they realize the games have already begun. "Look the people Naruto was talking to before... they don't seem very happy." Kiku looked at Anko. "Those are Genin from the hidden sand village... your right though they don't seem particularly happy... I'm going to head out now you keep an eye on these screens and radio me if anything happens." Kiku nods and Anko runs off back to the woods. Kiku looks at the screen and sees team Gai sitting by a stream. "looks like their having fun." she looks over at the other screen and see's Kiba and his group coming up on the sand ninjas then she sees the sand ninjas kill another group of Genin. "Anko the sand ninjas the red haired one just killed a whole team... and I think Kiba's team is going to be next..." then the sand ninja turned and went the other way. "Oh good they weren't seen..." Kiku took a deep breath. "Anko here I'll go check it out which sector was that?" Kiku looks at the screen "um... camera 3 I think I'm not sure which sector it's in."

"Alright I'll check on 3." she sits back in her chair looking from one screen to another suddenly in front of one camera something big passes. "What was that Neko?" then from out of the trees jumps Sasuke into the middle of the frame. "Look its Sasuke Neko" then a giant snake attacks him. "Um Anko is there big animals in the forest? Like giant snakes?" there's an unpleasant silence then the speaker buzzes. "No shouldn't be anything like that out here what do you see something?" Kiku looks back at the screen. "Camera 6 shows that Naruto's team is fighting a giant snake... it looks like they're not doing too well..." the snake turns towards the camera and she sees a human face. "OMG it has a human face!" "Alright I'll check on camera 6 then I sent a team to check on 3 and you were right but it looks like the sand team got the scroll they were after so they should be showing up there any minute. They look like the kind who don't like to wait... maybe you should keep an eye on them once they get there." Kiku nods looking at the screens.

"Excuse me Kikumari? I've come to give you a break from the screen Anko told me she had something else for you to do." Kiku nodded and handed over the radio and walked down the hall. "It was sure nice of her to let us help." she rounds the corner and bumps right into the sand ninjas. "Oh hello, I..." "Get out of the way." "Excuse me?" "You're in the way move." she steps aside to let them pass. But as they walk ahead she follows. "Excuse me... but I didn't happen to catch your names...?" the red head stops and turns around slowly. Staring at her with emotionless eyes. "Gaara of the sand this is Kankuro and Temari. Now if you don't mind we would like to move along." they started walking again. "What's the sand village like...? I've never been there..." they stop again. "It's full of sand" "I figured that much I..." suddenly sand comes from nowhere and pins her mouth shut. She pulls it off and stares angrily at Gaara. "You know you could show a little more respect to a lady." "Don't you know when to quit girl." Temari scoffs. "Hold on now Temari... I think the little girl has something she wants to say..." Gaara scoffs at Kiku raising sand from his back swirling it around him. "You bet I do! Here I am just trying to be nice and you cover my mouth with sand! Wait... you did that? That's so awesome!" momentarily side tracked from her anger.

A look of surprise washes over Gaara for a moment. "I've always been able to move sand to my will..." Kiku shook her head remembering she was upset. "I know this isn't your hidden sand village but do you really find it that hard to believe that someone would actually like to talk to you?" they all seem surprised for a moment. "We don't have time to talk just leave us alone we have things to do." they walked away leaving Kiku in the middle of the hall alone. "That's fine who cares about sand ninjas anyways... the less sand in my shoes the better." she pouted the rest of the way down the hall. "Nothing's going on with them except their bad attitude."

After the 2nd exam the sensei all gathered to watch the 3rd round however too many people passed the 2nd so they had to play an elimination game. Kiku was watching the matches. She watched as Kiba was defeated by Naruto. Then she looked at the board waiting for the next match. "I wonder when it'll be lee's turn..." then the names appeared on the board Rock lee vs Gaara. "Gai the boy from the sand village... he's up against lee... he's really strong..." they watched the beginning of the fight and it looked like lee had the upper hand until Gaara caught lee off guard with his sand. Lee was down after his leg and arm where crushed. "Lee!" Gaara stood victorious because the over seer of the matches called the match off due to Gai jumped into the middle of the fight. Kiku ran to lee's side while they got ready to take him to the emergency room. She looked back and scowled at Gaara. Then followed the medical ninja's to the hospital.


	8. Chapter 8

After a few days he woke up he had no idea that Gaara had come back and tried to end him. Gai took him to see the final battles in the exams but he was still unable to move on his own. "You're ok I'm so glad... the medical nurse said you were very badly damaged and that you might die... but you're ok." Kiku started to go for a hug but lee winced in pain and laid back down. "I do not think it is so simple..." Kiku starts to cry. "It's ok I'm sure it's not that bad..." Gai comes in with a very sad look on his face... "I've seen your x-rays lee... and I've got some very bad news... it seems that your bones exploded and fragments went into your spine... lee... I'm sorry but... the medical ninjas say you will never fight again..." a stream of tears began to roll down both of their faces.

"But lee's dream..." Kiku started. "No I refuse to give up... I can be a ninja without the use of ninjutsu or genjutsu. I need to get back to training..." he tried to sit up. "Lee stop you're going to make it worse..." he laid back down. "Gai sensei be honest... what do you think is the chance that I will be able to fight again." Gai looked out the window. "You're too badly broken none of the staff have the ability to help you."

"This is Gaaras fault..." Kiku said under her breath. "Excuse me but I have something I need to do." Kiku left the hospital with Neko following behind her. "Neko those sand ninjas haven't left yet they've been seen in town helping repair the damage they caused. I have a few things I'd like to say to that Gaara of the sand." Neko didn't seem to like the idea but he went anyway.

They came to a part of town that was under construction and they saw the sand ninjas helping carry wood and rebuild houses. "Gaara!" she yelled once she was close enough to him. He turned around confused then remembered where he had seen her before. "Oh you again." he started talking but she didn't care what he said. She walked right up to him and punched him right in the face. Temari and Kankuro stood perfectly still waiting to see what would happen next. "You jerk!" Kiku screamed tears started rolling down her face.

"Hi to you too...?" he stood back up and faced her no trace of anger or hostility. "What's wrong with you? You just like punching people?" Temari said still startled. "Lee is critically injured because of you! The medical ninja said he might not ever fight again! And it's all your fault!" his eyes grew wide. "The person I was is not the person I am... tell him... I'm sorry for the past... I know it won't fix it but I'm trying to be ... better now... Naruto helped me understand..." she clinched her fist and turned left. "I... sorry... but no... You're right sorry is not going to fix it... he... he can't even get out of bed on his own..." she was still crying and she wiped the tear from her eye. "Those eyes..." Kiku looked back up at Gaara. "I don't know what your life was like before the time we met... but I do know how mine was... and I apologies for hitting you... I'm upset..." Gaara stood without moving for a minute not thinking of anything to say.

"I have to get back to work or this won't get done." he turned around and picked up the wood pile and hurried away. Kankuro and Temari looked at each other shrugged and followed him. She watches him leave. "Maybe he will change... he seems genuinely sorry. I should get back... it's getting dark... I feel much better now though... except this pain right here." Kiku put her hand on her chest then shook her head and ran back down the street towards the hospital. "I hope lee will be ok he's the first friend I've really had." back in the hospital she walks in and see's lee trying to walk. "lee what are you doing... you're going to hurt yourself just wait for Naruto to get back..." lee stopped and tried a step then fell. "No I need to... make Gai sensei proud of me I can't give up." Kiku was about to get mad at lee but she understood. "If I was lee I would be doing the same thing... I have to help him." she thought. "Lee..." Kiku walked over to lee's good side and helped support him. "Lee I know you want to get back to work but you should take it easy." lee smiles. "Ok Kiku I will..."

"We have the 3rd Hokage funeral tomorrow save your energy for then..." lee sits back down. "alright." he sits on the bed trying to think of something other than training. Kiku sits in the chair next to the bed. Negi enters the room carrying black clothes. "Lee, Kiku... Gai said I'd find you here. I bought the outfits for tomorrow... everyone's supposed to wear black..." he handed one to lee and one to Kiku. "I have to get back to work helping the Huyga have been helping with the whole re-building project today and its getting closer to done." Negi turned to Kiku and grinned. "I saw what you did today... you sure put that sandy guy in his place." Kiku turned red "you saw that... I don't know what came over me I was just..." Negi nodded "you were sticking up for lee that's cool. It was kind of funny but probably don't go around randomly punching people... you could end up in a fight you won't be able to win." Kiku nodded and Negi turned and left the room.

"You punched Gaara?" lee said baffled Kiku turned red again. "I was so mad... what he did to you... I just... had to punch him...but it didn't make me feel better." she covered her face with the clothes Negi had just handed her. "You didn't get hurt? You did that for me?" Kiku smiled "that's what friends are for right." lee laughed and then grabbed his side in pain. "Well I'm glad he didn't do to you what he did to me..." Kiku suddenly realized she hadn't told lee what Gaara said. "He did say he was sorry about that... somehow after all this he's changed... he seems... I don't know more at peace?" lee smiled and looked out the window. "Good maybe I can get that rematch after all." Kiku's eyes widened. "You want to fight him again? But look at you?" lee continued to look out the window. "If he is really changing then I'm sure he wouldn't do this again... besides how will I know if I've gotten stronger if I don't try."


	9. Chapter 9

The 3rd hokage's funeral was sad everyone was standing quietly in their black outfits. Some were crying. Even the sky was crying. Kiku stood near lee to make sure he didn't fall because he insisted on going even though the nurse told him not to. She saw everyone standing in the group including Kiba. As she was scanning the crowd she saw the sand village ninjas also watching but from a little farther back.

After the ceremony everyone started to flow back to their homes. "Come on lee lets go back to the hospital before you get a cold on top of all this." Negi said helping lee walk. "Ok Negi..." Kiku followed behind them. "I can't believe he's gone..." she looked up at the big stone faces the rain dripping down them made it look like they were crying to. "People come and go that's just the way life is Kiku..." Iruka was walking behind her and she hadn't noticed.

"Iruka sensei..." she was too sad to be startled. "Hey, I heard you've been training with Gai? That's great... his methods are a bit extreme but I bet you're learning a lot." she smiled a bit remembering the 6 months she had spent training with Gai and lee. "It was hard at first getting used to their training and everything... but I'm all the more skilled now then I was before. I've even already perfected my first jutsu and begun working on the second." Iruka smiled then he too looked up at the stone faces. "I was worried that you wouldn't be able to find anyone to train with but it seems that you have a luck all your own. I never dreamed you'd end up with Gai's team."

"Sensei..." Kiku says still looking at the stone faces. "Why do bad things happen to good people...?" her question seemed to confuse Iruka for a moment then he spoke. "hard times are in everyone's life but if nothing were ever to go wrong in somebody's life then I suppose they would hurt even more when something did happen... we feel pain because that's what separates us from those who kill without reason. That's something Gaara learned from Naruto." Kiku turned to Iruka with tears in her eyes. "But why do bad things happen to good people... like Sasuke... and lee... and my whole clan... why..." Iruka understood now. "you think you're the only one hurting right now Kiku... but that's not entirely true... everyone has something to be sad or mad about... it's part of life... its series of raising and falling... but it's you who decides how these bad things will affect your future." she looked back up at the faces. "Like lee... he was injured so badly that he was told he'd never fight again... yet everyday he gets up and tries to walk by himself... and yet even after that he still wants to fight Gaara again." Iruka nodded "just like that... now why don't you go catch up to Negi and lee I'm sure they could use your help." she nodded and ran after them.


	10. Chapter 10

A couple weeks later a new Hokage had been elected and she was now running the village. As it turned out she was very skilled in the art of medical ninjutsu and she could help lee. Kiku didn't try to stop lee from having the dangerous surgery that could have killed him. He made it through and was now recovering. The sand ninjas had finished helping restore the town and left to go home. Lee was out walking around the town getting back on his feet and Kiku was busy training. "I've been neglecting my training since lee got hurt but now that he's feeling better I should get back to work. Ready Neko let's try this again! Feline art man beast transformation!" Neko turned into a clone of Kiku. "Ok ready!" they began running forward then they started spinning. "Go! Claw over claw!" they spun into a tree trying to knock it down. They stopped and landed on the ground again. Suddenly a bad feeling washed over Kiku. "Do you feel that Neko...somethings wrong..."

Iruka came running up to her. "Kiku there you are I've been looking everywhere for you!" she turned around. "Iruka what's happened... is something wrong." she looked horrified the bad feeling only got worse. "Sasuke ran away... Shikamaru took a team to go after them and they got beat up pretty badly. Kiba, Negi, and Choji are in the hospital in pretty bad condition... and lee..." he didn't have to finish Kiku sped to the hospital. "What happened where lee?" Shikamaru turned to look at Kiku disappointment on his face. "I let them down... my first mission as a leader and I failed." then lee walked around the corner. "There you are! Iruka said... wait you look fine to me?" lee looked up but did not smile. "I may not have made it if Gaara hadn't come help me..." Shikamaru slumped back in his seat. "I'm sorry lee..."

"It is not your fault Shikamaru I'm still not fully up to par and I shouldn't have not gone. But it was a worthy fight." Shikamaru looked at the door. "Choji is in critical condition... both him, Negi, and Kiba nearly died because of me... and Naruto... well he's still unconscious from whatever happened with Sasuke." lee sat down next to Shikamaru. "it's not your fault you tried your best don't forget you were in the same position we all were you nearly lost too..." then the sand ninja's walked in. "yeah it could have been worse you know... we could have been late. Then you might have gotten your butt kicked to. Or if it'd make you feel better I can kick it now." Temari said jokingly to Shikamaru.

The nurse walked out. "Shikamaru... I just thought you should know... Kiba is awake now." he stood up "great can I see him." the nurse nodded and he started through the door. "Wait for me Shikamaru!" Kiku yelled and followed him. Inside the room Kiba was looking up at the ceiling. "Kiba... how do you feel?" Kiba looked over and saw Kiku and Shikamaru standing in the door. "I've been better..." he grinned. "I'm so sorry Kiba... I should have..." Kiba frowned. "You're not blaming yourself for this are you? Just because I got hurt because I wasn't strong enough... that's not your fault..." Kiku saw Akamaru laying hurt next to Kiba's bed. "Oh the both of you got beat up pretty badly..." Kiba looked at his dog. "I will get stronger... as a ninja dog trainer I should be looking out for Akamaru not putting him in danger..." she nodded. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to Neko..." Neko jumped up in the bed with Kiba and licked his hand he smiled. "She's trying to make you feel better..." "Well thanks but I just need some rest is all..." then Kiba's family walked in. feeling like a third wheel Kiku decided to leave. "Come on Neko let's give them some space."

She saw lee in the hall again. "Lee how's Negi?" lee looked up. "Bad they don't know if he'll make it or not." Kiku stopped in her tracks. "But he's strong, really strong how could he get that injured..." she saw the sand ninjas had left. "I don't know myself... I must get back to training though." he got up to leave. "Wait lee... where'd the sand ninjas go?" lee started walking towards the door. "They said they had to go see the Hokage..."

Kiku arrived at the Hokage's office just as the sand ninja's were leaving. "Gaara..." as soon as he saw her he stepped back. "You're not going to punch me again are you?" she grinned "not unless you want me too... so how have you been I haven't seen you in a while." he grinned a bit. "After everything that's happened you still want to know about the sand village..." Kiku nodded. "What's it like?" he looked at Temari and Kankuro "why don't you come see for yourself." "I can't I have to train with lee and I can't just abandon Gai sensei... he helped me when I really needed him..." Gaara nodded. "We'll you know where it is if you change your mind." Temari and Kankuro looked confused then followed Gaara out of the village.

"I've got a feeling that I might go there someday... but right now Neko we've got some training to do... let's go."


	11. Chapter 11

Two and half years have passed everyone's been made Chūnin including Kikumari. She trained with lee and grew in strength. Today was the day everyone had waited for Naruto was finally coming back from his long training with Jiraiya. Everyone is now more grown then before. Everyone who got hurt during the Sasuke mission is ok now.

"Come on lee is that all you got!" Kiku ducked under lee's move then knocked him into the air. "Go! Claw over claw" they finish lee and he hits the ground hard. "Wow you've really improved Kiku." Gai said watching from over by Tenten and Negi. "Now let's see you fight me." Negi said stepping forward. "Bring it!" Negi wasted no time in using his gentle fist to try and knock Kiku over. But she jumped over his attack then cloned herself twice each clone landing in different spots around Negi. He used his Byakugan to try and figure out which one was real. "Impossible! None of them are the..." she then appeared behind him in a sudden flash and landed a side kick directly to him from behind and he went flying forward into a tree. "Very good Kiku." she smiled. "I'm proud to have been the one to teach you but now I've nothing left to teach you... all there is... is for you to fight me." Negi and lee both sat down over next to Tenten. "Very well then sensei... come at me!" she ran forward unafraid.

Gai leaped over her first attack but she was expecting him to and she too jumped. Both of them now in the air they exchanged blows back and forth. As they were about to land Kiku pushed away from Gai so they landed farther apart. She waited for him to make the first move. He ran toward her ready to use his tijutsu, but she carefully planned what would come next and jumped over Gai's head then while in the air kicked him in the back causing him to fall. "Gai sensei!" lee called from over on the bench. "I'm alright... very good Kiku..." she grinned "those classes I took with Shikamaru really have helped." Gai pats Kiku on the back. "You'll be a Jōnin in no time at this rate." suddenly one of the hokage's assistants comes running up to them. "Might Gai the Hokage as urgently requested that you go to see her." Negi, Tenten, and lee ran over. "Very well come on team!" they all ran to the hokage's hut.

"The hidden sand village was attacked and Gaara was captured. Naruto, kakashi, and Sakura have already left and I want your team to go too." she told Gai "we'll do it! Let's leave right now!" they all began the long run to the hidden sand village. They were stopped by a man who told them Naruto went the other way and he would lead them Kiku decided to go to the village instead and help anyone she could. "You go I'll go to the village and help anybody I can." they nodded and she watched them leave.

She ran to the sand village. When she got there she saw nothing was horribly wrong. "I should have went with Gai… now what am I going to do." She saw a bunch of sand village members starting to gather around and they were all walking to the center of town. Kiku followed them curiously. "Everyone quite now! We will begin to leave here in just a moment!"

Suddenly one of the sand ninjas sees Kiku's headband. "Leaf ninja what are you doing here?" all eyes turned on Kiku. Temari jumped over the crowd and landed in front of Kiku. "You again… what are you doing here?" she turned red. "I… came with team Gai to help get Gaara back…" they still looked like they wanted to kill her. "Oh really then where is your team?" Temari was extremely unamused. "They already went after Gaara… I came here to see if anybody needed help…" Temari studied Kiku for a moment. "Very well then… you can go with us when we leave. Why don't you come over here though…" she led Kiku out of the crowd. Once again in front of the crowd. "The leaf has sent back up which has already mobilized. So we should go to!"

They left the village on Temari's command. They started the long walk through the desert only to find that Naruto and the others were already on the way back. There was a lot of cheering until somebody realized one of the sands elders was dead then everyone gathered around quietly and they all went back to the village.

The hidden sand villager's buried their elder while Kiku watched. "Well we don't really need to stay here anymore are you all ready to go back to the leaf village?" Negi, Tenten, and lee nodded yes but Kiku couldn't decide. "Actually... I think I might stay here for a while..." Gai looked at Kiku confused. "Why?" she looked at Gaara who was now wearing his Kazekage uniform. "Never mind let's just go home..." Gai nodded and they headed off. She looked back one last time and could have sworn Gaara was looking right at her. "No that impossible he's a kage now he's not going to be interested in a nobody like me."

Kiku walked slowly behind everyone else and lee noticed. He slowed down a bit until she got up to where he was. "Are you ok?" Kiku looked up and saw lee walking next to her. "Oh ... yeah I'm alright just don't feel so good is all." "You want to race? Might make you feel better?" at first she didn't want to but Neko started racing forward. "Alright I bet I can beat you now!" she bolted after Neko with lee right behind her. They past Gai who then started running too, and in order to not get left behind Tenten and Negi started running too.

Entering the gates to the village Kiku beat Neko and then behind them Gai, lee, Negi and then an out of breath Tenten. "I win lee." she said bending over to pet Neko. "Yes but at least I came in second behind Gai." "Actually lee I'm carrying kakashi so he technically beat you to." Lee is struck then he turns to Kiku.

"How did you get so fast?" "Well I have been training with these weights just like you but I added more when I was training on my own..." Gai smiled. "Good very good so what weight are you up to now?" she handed her weights over to Gai and his eyes grew wide in astonishment. "These are almost as heavy mine." she smiled lee looked a little depressed. "What's wrong lee?" "I've been so focused on not over doing my training I've forgotten to add more weight." he looked at Gai. "it's ok lee just add it now... you should be all better I don't think surgery takes years to heal... although I have heard that bones take a while longer to heal then cuts and scrapes..." Gai took kakashi to the hospital.

Naruto stopped. "Hey bushy brows" lee suddenly got his spunk back. "Naruto." Tenten and Negi headed home to get some rest. "Naruto fight me right here right now!" "Alright bushy brows you're on!" Naruto and lee started brawling. Gai came out of the hospital and jumped on his hands and began moving forward at a running pace. "A walk on his hands... before I started my training I would have thought it nearly impossible... but now it's not even difficult." she decided to head home herself and get some rest. She started walking on her hands just for practice and walked that way all the way to the tree house.

Kiku and Neko laid down and Kiku pulled out her book. "I want to try this jutsu but I don't know what I could use it for... its suppose to bring people back from the dead but only if they've been gone for less than an hour... it says it takes a lot of chakra to pull it off and no katsu in our recorded history had been able to use it." she read the description over and over. "The nine lives jutsu of the katsu clan... but nobody could use it? That doesn't make any since. Oh well I guess I'll work on it later... it looks like you have to have some kind of medical talent to use this move and I don't think any katsu could use medical jutsu."

She picked her picture of her family up off the shelf. "I miss them Neko..." the cat mowed. "I know you do too... maybe tomorrow I should take a job... we do need some more food..." she noticed looking at the table noticing she was running low on food. Neko stretched and yawned.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day Kiku took a job in the hidden sand village. "helping rebuild Gaaras village will be a good job for me... its volunteer work but I haven't done anything lately and this will be good for us right Neko?" the cat rolled its eyes and followed. She went up to Gai who was watching lee practice with new weights. "Gai sensei... I hope you don't mind but I'm going to go away for a while..." he raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean Kiku?" she watched lee kicking high with the new weights on. "I took a job in the sand village it may take a few days before I return..." he smiled. "You fancy Gaara?" she turned bright pink. "No... Who told you that…?" Gai smirked. "I may not be super smart but when somebody is drawing faces in the sand it is hard not to realize what's going on." the pink shade got even darker. "You saw that..." he smiled. "Yeah but I've also been told that you confessed to Sakura about it... not sure how that subject came up... it's been floating around the village." her skin was now bright red. "Around the village... great...anyway I just needed a break so I was going to go do it myself... I..." he smiled and put his thumb up. "Hey you're a Chūnin now don't forget you're perfectly capable of going off on missions on your own." Kiku smiled "thanks Gai sensei."

Kiku headed for the gate. "I can't believe she told somebody she promised she wouldn't tell." She saw Sakura standing by the gate. "Hey did you... tell anybody what I told you?" Sakura thought for a minute then nodded. "Yeah I accidently told Naruto the other day... but he swore he wouldn't tell... why did something happen?" Kiku nodded "Gai found out... and what's worse is he didn't hear it from Naruto." she looked angry "I'm going to hit that fool! You want me to give him one for you?" she raised her fist angrily. "No it's not that bad I mean it's not like he sent a messenger bird to the sand village and told Gaara about it... besides it's not like he'd ever have any interest in me anyways..." Sakura paused then looked right at Kiku. "What are you saying?" Kiku took a deep breath. "He's so much higher ranking then me... I mean he's the Kazekage... someone like him would not even give me a second thought. I mean it was bad enough that I got lost in the desert and nearly failed the Chūnin exams... I can't believe the Hokage let me pass..."

She nods. "I understand what you mean... it's like how Sasuke will never come back even though I really care for him... it's like I don't exist..." Kiku wasn't sure she had quite gotten it but it was close enough. "Well I have a job now so I got to be going..." she waved bye and then went through the gate. "We're on our way Neko." they walked all the way there.

now I may be wrong but from what they said in the older Chūnin exam episode it takes about 2 days if you rest but walked... and if you didn't rest about a day and a half... so if she runs it should only take about 9-10 hours at least that's what I've been going with. cuz she runs so fast.

About 6 hours into the trip they stop running. "Neko do you sense that? Somebody is watching us..." just then out of the tree jumps a group of bandits. They surround Kiku. "Give us your supplies and we won't harm you." the one standing in front of her said holding his hand out. "Does it look like I have any supplies with me? I'm not carrying any bags." they exchange looks but you can't see their faces because they are wearing masks. "Then I guess we have to hurt you." the one in front said charging forward. "Just like Shikamaru thought me... watch all the fighters at once analyze and then attack." she dodged the first ones attack then barely managed to dodge the other guys attack. "They are attacking quickly and in a great number... I'll have to pull out all the stops to win." she ducked under the 3rd guys arm and then pushed her two palms up into the guys chest similarly to the way Negi uses his gentle fist then she grabbed his arm while he was distracted and flung him into the other 3 guys knocking all of them over.

"Come on that the best you got? If you're going to mug somebody you should at least know how to do it properly." she said looking at them as they laid in a pile. Then somebody came up behind her and grabbed her. "Big man finally! Thought you'd never show up... good hold her tight don't let go... we got to teach her a lesson." Kiku screamed loudly. "Let go you jerk!" then Neko jumped onto the big guys head. While he was distracted Kiku stomped on his toes. But it didn't seem to have any effect and the big guy grabbed Neko and tossed her into a tree. She hit the ground and laid still. "Neko! Let me go! Neko!" the bandits slowly began advancing and one drew a knife. "Now you'll see what happens to people who mess with the shadow gang girly... where should we cut her first boys?" they all shout different answers. "I heard stomach." the one with the knife said raising it into the air. Her eyes closed as she waited for the pain but the pain never came. She opened her eyes to see the one with the knife had been knocked over.

"You like picking on helpless people... we'll whose going to help you from me?" Gaara said coming out from behind a tree and sending sand to knock over the other 3 guys. The big guy let Kiku go and started running for Gaara. Gaara didn't even flinch he just commanded sand to pile over him then he made a fist. "Sand coffin." the other bandits started shaking in fear. "It's Gaara! Run!" they ran away. Kiku ran over to Neko who was still lying on the ground. She tried to pick Neko up but she was too badly hurt. "Don't... moving her now could damage her worse... let me..." Gaara used his sand under Neko to lift her onto a cloud of sand that then floated into the air. "I was curious about the bandits so I came to investigate... they've been stealing food from people passing by and hurting innocent villagers... now that the big guys gone I'm sure they won't be that hard to deal with anymore." "You... were just out here by chance... but you still saved me... thank you."

"What are you doing out here anyway Kikumari... don't you live in the leaf village?" she nodded and followed him down the path. "I took a job helping to rebuild the hidden sand the job you sent in a request for?" he nodded. "oh yes... well I had expected they'd send more than one person but if only one person wanted the job then I guess only one person would show up." she stared at Neko worried she might not make it if they didn't hurry. "I can ride them too you know we don't have to walk the whole way... unless you want to walk?" she looked at Gaara confused. "Ride what?" he pointed to the cloud of sand. "Oh yeah that looks fun." suddenly from under Kiku the sand started to lift her up and it startled her. She sat down on that cloud and Gaara sat on his. "Does it use a lot of chakra? I mean controlling the sand?" he nods "it depends on what I'm doing with the sand. Floating doesn't take too much effort... but some of my bigger jutsu takes quite a bit." "Why are you so interested in me?" he asked Kiku blushed a little but hid it from Gaara.

After an awkward silence Gaara confirmed Kiku worst fear. "So I got an interesting letter from Naruto the other day..." she turned pink instantly. "It's not true! I mean it is true but... what business is it of his weather or not I like you or not." Gaara raised his eye brows "no I meant that he and lee had a training match... it's good to know that he wasn't too hurt... I was afraid he wouldn't get better. What are you talking about." the color flushed from her face. She stared at Gaara waiting for a reply or comment about what she had said. "I like cats too..." he said awkwardly. "What's he trying to say now he's just confusing me..." she thought to herself. She looked down at the sand cloud now realizing it was shaped like a heart. "Am I seeing things or did he do this on purpose?" she looked back up at Gaara wanting to ask him but she couldn't find the words.

Gaara cleared his throat. "I hope your cat is ok..." Kiku looked at Neko and sighed. "Yeah Neko has been the only one I've had family wise since my whole clan burned to the ground..." Gaara looked back at Kiku. "Your whole clan is gone?" she nodded a tear formed in her eye. "That's awful... but I bet I can top that... I bet your father never tried to kill you because you were an abomination." "Is that true... oh that terrible...but why would anyone want you dead..." he looked forward again. "I was a monster... an out of control killer... I was the one tails jinjuriki... but I wasn't as good at hiding it as Naruto is." Kiku could sense Gaara was in pain on the inside. She stood up on the cloud and took a minute to balance herself then she jumped off over onto Gaara's sand cloud. "What are you doing sit down before you fall..." she sat down next to Gaara. "I can't begin to imagine how hard it must have been for you... but one tings for sure we've both had some hard times." "No you don't have to..." he stopped talking when Kiku wrapped her arms around him. "What... what are you doing...?"

"You need a hug... do you feel better now?" he blinked staring forward he didn't want to admit it but he did feel much better now. "Kiku... nobody has ever hugged me before..." she stopped and looked at him. "Oh sorry was I not supposed to..." he smiled for the first time she'd seen. "No it's alright... I... I do feel better now... thank you..." Kiku decided to stay on the other sand cloud because she didn't want to fall. "Have you ever noticed how amazing this is?" she said leaning back letting the wind blow through her hair. "What do you mean Kiku?" she leaned forward again staring at Gaara. "I mean enjoying your sand cloud... I mean... not everyone can just float around anytime they want to... this is really cool." he thought about it for a moment then he leaned back the way Kiku had. He relaxed for a moment then he laid back on the sand and closed his eyes. "Your right it is really nice..." he looked over at her. "How is it that you can see all this good in me... when nobody else can...?"

She smiles "they just weren't looking hard enough... I could tell right from the first moment I met you that you were hurting... you shut people out so they couldn't hurt you anymore..." he closed his eyes again. "Maybe... this is probably the most fun I've had in a while... or I guess ever..." Kiku flopped back on the sand cloud and looked over at Gaara. "You've never had fun?" he shook his head no. Kiku was enjoying the ride when Gaara suddenly sat up and startled her. "You know they go faster than this... I've just been going slow because I don't want Neko to get any more hurt then she already is. But I just had a thought..." he put a dome of sand over Neko. "there hold on we'll be there in a about 1 minute." he sped the clouds up till they were going so fast that the trees were just blurs then suddenly the trees gave way to sand. "This is great!" she screamed letting the wind hit her face.

Gaara got serious again once they reached the walls of the hidden sand village. "The only time I'm free is when I'm alone because at least when your alone people aren't constantly judging you." inside the walls Kiku saw how many of the building had been damaged. "Why would someone attack a village full of innocent people...?" Gaara shook his head. "They wanted me... maybe the village would be better off without me..." Kiku scowled at Gaara. "don't talk like that... your important to your village you are the Kazekage after all everyone depends on you here." he smiles again then wipes it off as he gets ready to land the cloud. "You should smile more..." she grinned. As he landed his brother and sister came running up.

"Where have you been Gaara these repairs aren't going to oversee themselves?" Temari said waving her arms. "Wait that's that girl from the leaf village? What is she doing here?" Kankuro said crossing his arms. "I was over by the woods checking up on that report about bandits... and it's a good thing I did... Temari I need you to go get a medical ninja who's good with animals... right now." Temari looked confused and then hurried away. "You still haven't told us why she's here Gaara?" he frowned "the bandits attacked her while she was on the way here to help rebuild the city... she's the only leaf villager to answer the post I sent." Kankuro nodded Temari came running back with a medical team. "Gaara pointed to the sand cloud at Neko. She needs help quickly." the medical ninja's took a look. "It's not serious as it appears... a few busted ribs and a broken leg but that's nothing... we'll have her fixed right up."

Temari stared at Gaara a confused look on her face still. "You seem awfully cheery today Gaara?" Gaara ignored this comment. "Temari what work do you have for Kikumari?" she pulled a list out of her pocket. "We have plenty of people making sand bricks but not enough builders... so what we need is someone to lift bricks and build the houses and shops." Kiku nodded "I am here to help show me what to do." Gaara walked forward a bit then turned back around. "Let me go get my kage hat and I'll be along." he turned and ran up the road towards the kage hut. "What's wrong with Gaara... he's so..." Temari started "happy." Kankuro finished. "Yeah..." Kiku had a good idea why but she wasn't sure she should tell. "I think the better question is, why aren't you happy?" they both turned to her then looked at each other then back at her. "It's normal for anyone in our village to be happy... including us... but Gaara... no... Not even when he was elected into the kage house." Kankuro looked at Kiku then looked and Temari. "I think I know what it is... but that's impossible..."

They started walking towards the construction area. "What Kankuro?" "I think Gaara might be... in love." Temari burst out laughing. "That's ridiculous." he smirked. "Yeah I would have thought so too because I had also believed it was impossible for you but then I caught you looking at that leaf village boy..." Temari turned red. "You leave Shikamaru out of this!" there was an awkward silence in the group now. Kiku decided to break the uncomfortable silence. "It's good to see you on your feet after the incident with the poison..." "Yeah I'm glad to be walking again after that... Sakura really saved me." they arrived at the site of the construction. Kiku picked up one of the bricks. "These are surprisingly lighter than the weights I train with this won't be so hard." she carried the brick over the building and back and forth staking them. Temari and Kankuro went to the other side to help the brick builders.

Gaara showed up a little while after that. "I'll help too." he went to pick up a brick then he looked up. "How do we get them all the way up there?" Kiku giggled. "I have an idea here lift all the bricks up at once using the sand cloud." while Gaara was forming his cloud Kiku grabbed the paste and then she jumped onto the cloud and road it all the way up. "Ok now just hold it there." Kiku put down some paste then a brick and so on and so on until she ran out of places to put bricks on that structure. "Well this one's done." Temari looked over and saw them working together building the houses. "Look their going faster than the construction crew is... at this rate they'll get it all done by the time the sun goes down." Kankuro watched in awe. "Are you sure you still want to laugh at my idea now?" he said teasing her. "I don't believe it... he's just helping her because she's the only one who showed up..."

Once the last building was done they were just getting ready to end the day Kiku checked the last bricks again. Temari looked over just as Gaara lowered the sand. Kiku was so excited they had finished all the work. "Look Gaara we finished the whole thing." she flung herself into a hug with Gaara again but this time to her surprise he hugged her back. "Kankuro LOOK!" he turned and saw. "I told you Temari..." she was positively baffled "Gaara... is actually happy...the worlds going to end now isn't It." she looked at her brother. "That's kind of ironic though because she punched him in the face a couple years ago..." Kankuro remembered.

They walked over to Temari and Kankuro. Temari was about to call him out on his hug when something she never expected happened. Gaara walked right up to his sister and gave her a big hug. She looked at Kankuro helplessly he just shrugged. "I'm sorry both of you I haven't told you enough times how much you mean to me... it's good to have family." they stayed mute and confused. Then both Gaara and Kiku started laughing. "I told you they'd freak out if you said that... pretty funny right." Kiku said holding her side because she was laughing so hard it hurt. "That's what you call a joke... hum... I like it." Temari didn't know what to think. "It's great to see your smile brother... it's been to long..." Temari gave up trying to figure out what had happened. "Yeah it's a good change..."

"So what are you going to do now... since you're both from different villages...?" Temari spoke over the silence. Kiku looked at Gaara waiting for his answer. "Not sure... probably we'll just hang out sometimes... and see what happens." she was glad he decided to not rush although she wasn't surprised either. Gaara put his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go check on Neko." Kiku nodded and they left Temari and Kankuro standing in front of the noodle shop.

"Did you see the look on your sister's face... ha-ha... she doesn't know what to think about this." Kiku laughed quietly. Gaara laughed a little too. "Yeah well I've never really been happy before so she's probably really confused." they enter the hospital and ask the lady at the front what room Neko is in. she points to the closest door. They go in the door. There's a nurse standing in the room checking Neko to make sure he recovered right. "Good news your kitties just fine now... although you probably shouldn't battle for a while... she needs her rest." Neko jumped up and ran across the floor and jumped in Kiku's arms. "Good I was worried about her... how long do you think she'll be on rest for?" the nurse checked her charts. "About 2 or 3 weeks should be plenty."

Kiku thanked the nurse and walked with Gaara out the front door. "What should we do now?" Kiku turned to Gaara. "Well it's getting dark so probably should go to bed." Kiku agreed "but I haven't made any staying arrangements..." Kiku pulled the piece of paper for her job description. "Yeah there is no staying arrangements listed her..." Gaara looked down both roads. "Well you could sit up at the inn over there... or you could just rest in one of the empty houses..." Kiku looked down the road he had pointed to when he mentioned the inn. "I think the inn will be just fine." he led her down the street. "Even though the houses are done we still have another section to re-build tomorrow... and it's going to be harder because that where most of the shops are..." Kiku nodded "ok I'll be there as soon as I wake up then." she walked into the inn and Gaara went back to where he lives.

"Omg Neko I can't believe that just happened..." that cat looks up at her confused. "Gaara saved me from bandits earlier and then I... oh I can't believe I did that! And then he..." the cat yawned still confused. "He was so sad... I just had to hug him and make him feel better... and I don't think anyone had ever hugged him before because he didn't really know what to do... and then..." she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "A visitor? How does anybody know I'm here?" she opened the door and saw Temari and Kankuro standing in the hall. "Can I help you?" they exchanged a look then Kankuro nodded. "We need to talk." they entered the room and closed the door. Kiku didn't know what they were going to say but with the past in her head she thought it wasn't going to be cake and ice cream.

"Gaara's life hasn't been an easy one... we really didn't think he'd ever like anybody. The point is we thought you should know about what happened in his past." Kiku raised an eyebrow. "He already told me he was a jinjuriki and that his father tried to kill him?" they nodded. "True but did he tell you that the first one his father sent to kill him was Gaara's own uncle..." Kiku's eye grew wide with surprise. "No he didn't tell me that..." Temari nodded "yes father had our uncle betray Gaara... and uncle was the only one who had ever shown Gaara any kindness as a child... it broke his spirit... turned him into a monster...worse of all our father was trying to use the one tails as a weapon. Gaara had a very hard childhood... because other kids didn't want anything to do with him... he tended to accidently hurt people..." Kiku sat down at the foot of the bed. "you two must care a lot about Gaara... or you wouldn't be here...but I don't really mind about his past... after all it may have affected him up to this point but that's not who he is now." they nodded.

"The point is don't be surprised if he seems a little distant sometimes... that's just how he is." Kankuro says. Kiku nodded "I'll keep that in mind." Kankuro left the room Temari was about to follow him but she stopped and looked back. "You know Shikamaru right?" Kiku nodded. "Has he ever said anything about me?" Kiku thought back to anytime she had talked to or heard him talk. "Not that I've heard... from what I can remember all he ever says is how much of a drag everything is..." she looked disappointed. "Oh... ok..." then she left too.


	13. Chapter 13

The dawn of the next day Kiku sprung out of bed. "Another day another building to fix. Let's go Neko!" she ran down the road to the construction area. The only people she saw was a few crew members making bricks but nobody was building the buildings. "Where is everyone?" Gaara walked up behind her. "I don't know where everyone went but we got to get these buildings finished... we work fast enough that we really don't need them anyway." Kiku nodded. "Alright then lets fix these shops." they worked the same way they had the day before and it didn't take them long to get the tops of all the shops fixed. "Well that went quicker than expected." Kiku said looking around to make sure they hadn't missed a spot. "Yeah I don't know what we'll do now." Kiku said turning back to Gaara. "I guess I could show you the village... I know you wanted to see it awhile back." she smiled "yeah that sounds great."

They walked around the village and every time Gaara would pass an older building he would talk about the history behind it. He stopped for a moment in front of an empty patch of land. "Did something use to be here?" Kiku asked. "Yeah it's still here just underground..." she looked at the spot confused. "It was an attempt I made... I was trying to see if it would be possible to live in a house under the ground... but without windows to let in the sunlight it was like living in a two story basement... I just left it there to remind myself it didn't work..." "You built a house underground?" "No it was built on top of the sand... I just sunk it."

"Why did you try to put a house underground?" he turned and looked up at the sky. "When I first became Kazekage I tried to think of ways to make living in the village safer in case for some reason I was unable to contain the one tails. Last time it came out I destroyed everything... so I tried to make it safer by hiding the houses so nothing could get destroyed them. But like I said... it didn't work. Not only could no light get into the building but anytime someone wanted in I had to raise the entire house up and then sink it again." "Why not just put the door in the top of the house?" he stopped for a minute then he put his arms out. The top of building rose out of the sand. Gaara walked over to the building and punched a hole in the side then looked into the room and turned around. "Yeah if I put the door on the top floor then I only have to raise the top of it... plus you can still get to the lower floors that way... I can't believe I never thought of that..."

"Are you sure you want to have your villagers live in underground houses though? I mean it's not that bad aside from that there'd be no light... so they wouldn't be able to see anything..." Gaara nodded. "It was to keep them safe but now that I no longer have the tailed beast... I guess it's not necessary." Kiku was curious about the tailed beasts. "Everyone seems to think the tailed beasts are bad... but you and Naruto aren't bad..." he looked up again. "No when I was young I was afraid of the tailed beast inside me... I had only just started getting along with shikaku when they came and took me to that place and drained him out of me..." Kiku put her hand on his shoulder. "What did they want your tailed beast for." he shook his head. "I have no idea... but they were willing to kill me to get it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the others they were after as well." "Wouldn't that mean that Naruto would be in danger as well." his eyes grew wide. "Yes it would... I have to warn him." Gaara jumped on one of his sand clouds. "Come on I'll give you a lift back to the leaf village." Kikumari jumped on and Neko jumped up and curled up beside her. "Hold onto something we are going to go faster than I've ever gone before." before she could respond the cloud took off at high speed.

"This is awesome!" she flung her hands up in the air. At first Gaara didn't think it was fun but then he started laughing and he through his arms up too. "Your right this is fun!" she grinned. "I bet you've never surfed on one of these have you?" "Surfed?" "Yeah like this." Kiku stands up and puts one foot forward and the other back behind her. "It's all about balance." she said nearly falling over. Gaara raised an eyebrow then he too stood up and copied Kiku. "This is new to me... usually if I'm standing it's the right way." Gaara stumbled a bit but then stood back up. Then Gaara slowed down the cloud because they were close to the leaf village but the sudden stop caused them both to fall backwards. Kiku fell on top of Gaara they both started laughing.

She pushed herself off and sat down. Gaara stood up and looked over the side. "Do you see Naruto anywhere Kiku." she stood up and looked too. The cloud hovered over the town but neither of them could find Naruto. "Maybe we should ask the Hokage." Gaara nodded and landed the cloud in front of the hokage's hut. They ran inside and up the steps they knocked on the door. "you should wait out here Kiku..." he opened the door and closed it behind him.

Kikumari and Nekomari sat on a bench on the other side of the hall. One of Kiku other school friend's walks down the hall. "Wow your back already? What are you sitting out here for?" she said rising her eyebrow. "Oh yeah well I only took a building job it wasn't that hard... besides Gaara helped." the girl smirked "I bet that made you really happy." she joked sticking her Tung out. Kiku blushed "well yeah but he was happy too... hey why are you alone didn't anyone come with you?" she looked behind the girl. "no I was on a mission I just got back and learned everyone left on a big important mission and they left me behind." she frowned. Gaara had just opened the door when the girl had mentioned the mission everyone was on. "Yeah they're trying to catch the three tails before the akasuki does. I told her about our idea she said she'd already figured that's what they were after but she can't get Naruto to do anything about it other than train... boys got spunk."

"The three tails! That could be very dangerous... I hope their alright..." Kikumari put her hands on her face. The girl scoffed "would serve them right for leaving me behind." she turned and walked away. Gaara watched the girl leave. "I don't understand see what's them to get hurt?" Kiku shrugs "seems like all the girls around here have an attitude but no see really doesn't want them to get hurt she's just expressing that she's upset they didn't ask her to go... even though she knows she was gone when they left." Gaara shook his head. "No matter how hard I trying I will just never understand girls." Kiku giggled. "Girls aren't really overly complicated Gaara part of the reason you don't understand is because you're not a girl..." Gaara was still looking down the hall then he turned to Kiku. "Then how might I understand girls?" Kiku raised her eyebrow. "You want me to explain girls to you?" Gaara nodded "unless... should I not be asking a girl to tell me... if so I could ask Naruto." Kiku laughed remembering every time he'd tried to do something for Sakura she would punch him. "That's probably not the best idea... I'll try to explain it to you." Kiku lead Gaara outside and pointed down the street.

"I'm going to try to explain girls to you but no guarantee you'll understand even after I do. First I'll show you shopping because that's a favorite of every girl I know." she led Gaara down the street to a nearby shop. "Girls love clothes expensive cloths... even though half the time they don't wear everything they own and they continue to buy more anyway." she pulled a couple things down from the racks to show Gaara what she meant. "So girls hoard clothing?" Kiku nodded "yeah pretty much. They also love these over here." she pointed at the jewelry in the glass containers. "They like expensive shiny rocks?" Gaara was still confused. "Not just any shiny rock... most of these are diamonds but the ones that aren't white they have different names. Some girls like just diamonds but some girls like to receive the ones that are what is called their birthstones as a girl who was born in April mine would be the diamond... however. Other girls will have different stones and boys have these too but they don't pay much attention to it as us girls do. When were you born Gaara?" she turned to him "um... January... why?" she points at a dark red gem. "Januarys stone is garnet that one there." he looked at it. "That looks like the color of blood..."

"Ok so I think that's everything in the store I can show you... let's move on. To eating places." she lead Gaara back outside. "Something you should note when girls shop they go for the most expensive places like this one here where everything's price is so high people who don't constantly work couldn't afford anything here." She led him down the street more and they started passing food places. "Most girls will eat anywhere but most of the harder to get girls like eating at place where the food is really expensive. The olive branch and red crabs are some of those places... also fruiteebees and leafy road house are also on that list. Personally I like the ramen shop cause it's affordable and it's not half bad." her stomach growls loudly when she says this. Kiku blushes "all this food talk has made me hungry... ha-ha"

Gaara nods "I could eat." they walked into the noodle shop "this is Narutos favorite place to eat I see him in here a lot." Gaara looked interested. "Really it must be good then?" the guy behind the counter walked out of the back room. "Well if it isn't Kikumari katsu and who's your friend there?" the guy studies Gaara. "This is Gaara from the sand village..." the man's eyes got wide with disbelief. "I'll be the Kazekage in my noodle shop..." Kiku giggled "yeah and he's never had noodle here before so make him your best seller." Gaara sat down next to Kiku. "I'll just have regular this time with pork in it. What do you want Gaara?" he looks around. "I don't know... maybe just what you're having." the man started working on the noodles.

"Did he say he was honored that I was here Kiku?" he raised his eyebrow. "Yeah I think a lot of people hold a deep respect for you. Why?" he seemed really confused. "Nobody's ever cared before? But I did what Naruto told me and now... people notice me... does that mean I exist?" Kiku giggled. "Your silly Gaara why wouldn't you exist you are alive aren't you?" he started to question himself. "for a long time I was feared by everyone I mean my own father tried to kill me multiple times..." she looked at Gaara "maybe instead of taking it that way you should try to look at it more positively..." he raised his eyebrow. "How can that possible be positive?" "He only tried to kill because he was acknowledging that you existed." his eye widened. "You really can make anything better can't you?" she grinned. "sometime you just have to understand things and sometime you have to twist them in your own mind to make them less bad... after all bad things happen to make us stronger... a wise sensei told me that..." Gaara looked up "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger... yes I could see how that could be...oh, what is that delightful smell?" he took a deep breath breathing in the smell. "That would be the noodles."

The ramen was placed in front of them Kiku handed Gaara the chopsticks. "Try it but careful it's hot." Gaara dipped the sticks into the noodles and picked up a small bit and ate it. His eyes grow wide and sparkle. "I don't believe I've ever had anything this tasty my whole life." Kiku giggled and ate her own food. "Tell me what made you first start coming in here Kiku?" she thought back. "It was a stormy day that came out of nowhere me and Neko were running through the town when Naruto ran right in front of us. We saw him come in here and I could smell the food... Neko ran after Naruto into the shop so I had no choice but to come in too. And at first I wasn't going to eat here but Naruto looked so happy staking bowl after bowl... I decided to try it and I've been coming here ever since." "It seems that Naruto is behind a lot of good things." Kiku smiled. "Yeah either him or lee..." she thought back to the first time she met him. "Had I never talked to lee he never would have convinced Gai to train me..." "Had I never met Naruto I never would have known anything but hate... and I'm glad I did meet Naruto because if I hadn't I never would have made all the friends I have now."

The guy behind the counter brought a bowl of noodle broth out and set it on the floor for Nekomari. Gaara looked confused by this. "Neko likes the noodles to but she can't eat them so when I come in the guy gives her some of the broth she really likes it." Gaara nodded understanding now. "Are you enjoying your date?" the man from behind the counter leaned over and asked Kiku. Both she and Gaara turned red. "It's not a date... were just eating because... we got hungry..." Kiku tried to think of an excuse. Then Gaara spoke. "Yeah we just happened to have already been hanging out when we both got hungry... so we decided to just eat." the guy smiled "that's called a date kids." they looked at each other. "Well it's not really a date... I mean...it's a little soon for one of those..." "I'm so glad my brother and sister aren't here... this is so awkward..." Kiku nodded in agreement.

"You're going to have a very lazy relationship if neither one of you will admit you like the other person." the guy stood back up strait. "Well enjoy your date." then the guy disappeared back into the back room of the shop. "Well that was... weird...?" Gaara agreed with Kiku. They finished and paid then left the shop. "you still want to know about girls... well Tenten might be able to help you understand better...lets go see if we can find her..." they walked around town some more. "theirs Ino's family flower shop... that's another thing girls like flowers... oh and I don't know if you knew this or not but girls tend to fight over the cutest boys... like how Ino and Sakura are always at each other's throats about who like Sasuke more." he raised an eyebrow. "They do why?" she shrugged "no clue... it's like having a fighting rival I guess... they seem to be friends when they aren't fighting." Gaara looked around the town. "So far none of this is very complex. Although I still don't understand why girls are so fascinated with shiny rocks. I see rocks like that all the time when I'm making more sand."

Kikumari turned to Gaara. "You actually find gems in the ground?" he nods "I didn't know that girls liked them so much or I might have kept them... normally I just leave them where I find them." "How do you make more sand anyway?" "Like this..." he took a little bit of sand and pushed it into the earth. "I use my sand to break down the minerals in the earth and turn the minerals into sand." he pulled the sand back out and showed Kiku how there was now more than when he started. "Oh that's handy." he puts the sand back in his gourd. "You know I've been meaning to ask... what's with that thing on your back?" he simply states "its sand... I carry it around with me because it holds my charka infused sand which is better for fighting then regular sand." "Is it heavy?" he thinks for a minute. "Well I've never really found it very heavy no." "Can I try it on?" "I don't see why not... nobody has ever asked me that before." he turned the whole thing to sand and reformed it behind Kikumari. He took his belt and pulled it over Kiku the way he wears it. "Well how do I look?" she puts on a serious face and crosses her arms like Gaara does.

Gaara starts laughing "what?" Kiku says frowning. "It looks cute." she smiles "yeah let me take a picture real quick. But gee its heavy... you can have it back now" Gaara readjusted it back onto his back. "You didn't look to bad with it what do you think of the way it wears on me?" "actually it's weird seeing you without it... it's like part of your person... plus carrying that around all day must be really good training." he nods "it helps I guess I never really thought about it that way before. It's always been just an easier way for me to carry my sand around."

Kiku looks over and her eyes widen. "What?" Gaara follows her gaze. "That dress... hold on!" Kiku runs into the store and comes back a few minutes later wearing a dress similar to the one in the window. "What do you think?" Gaara blushes. "It looks great but? Why are you still wearing the green suit?" she looked down at the dress. "It only clashes a little... besides I couldn't take it off... Gai gave it to me he'd be heartbroken if I did." Gaara nodded "what kind of guy is Gai? I mean as a sensei?" Kiku giggled. "He's a little too optimistic and sometimes he can go over the top. But he's a great trainer." from down the street they saw someone snapping photos. The person walked right up to them. "For 5 dollars I can make this moment last?" Kiku looked at Gaara "he wants to take a picture of us" Gaara nodded yes. "That'd be great." she gave the man ten dollars. "I need 2 of them." Neko jumped up on Kiku's shoulder. He takes the photos hands them over and then moves along.

"What's the second one for?" Gaara asks. "One for me one for you." Kiku said handing one to Gaara. "Oh... thank you." "His Iruka sensei!" Iruka stopped in front of them. "Oh hi Kiku." she waves "where are you heading?" he nods towards the noodle place. "Oh getting something to eat? We just came from there." he raised his eyebrow. "You're with him? The Kazekage? You're dating the Kazekage?" they both turned red again. "Why does everyone assume that...?" she looked at Gaara. "We aren't dating were just hanging out. Like good friends." Gaara said. Iruka nodded. "Ok then well I've got to get going have fun guys!" Iruka walked into the noodle shop.

"I should get back to the hidden sand before they start to miss me..." Kikumari nods. "Yeah but it was great hanging out with you. I'll see you around sometime... actually I think I might go take another mission." Gaara nods forming a sand cloud behind him. "I'll write but you should still come visit if you get time." she nods "oh you know I will." Gaara waves goodbye and leaves on his cloud.

"Come on Neko lets go home...I'll take another mission once you feel better." the cat jumps on Kiku's shoulder and Kiku begins to run home. "Nobody said I couldn't train even though you can't I'll just have to work on my tijutsu for a few weeks."


	14. Chapter 14

"Alright Neko it's been a few weeks you need to get back to work! Let's go!" Neko runs across the field and jumps on a dummy made of straw. She claws at it leaving a few marks but not doing a whole lot of damage. She looks back at Kiku. "Cats can't do a lot on their own that's why we train with you to be your partner... well that's what my mom used to say. come let's try our jutsu." they went claw over claw into the dummy this time it flew off of it stick and exploded into a stack of hay on the ground. "Good... but we need something harder than straw or we'll never get better... whose there!" she looked up in the tree. "Kiba what are you doing up there?" Kiba jumped down and looked right at Kiku. "I was watching you train... doesn't look like Neko know how to do much?" Kiku's scowled at Kiba. "Cats can't do much..." Kiba laughed. "You haven't been reading that book of yours lately have you?" Kiba pulled one out of his pocket. "I thought you might find this interesting... the one you had was a hand written one but this is an index of all the katsu family stuff... before the clan split up... it mentions a few tricks you can teach Neko." he tosses the book to Kiku. She opens it up and starts reading it. "I found it in my parents' house it was super dusty... my mom said she got it when they closed down a book store that used to be down the street from where I live." Kiku was trilled

"This is the complete history! Look Neko things you can do are in here too... but... moms cats couldn't..." Kiba nodded. "When I found it mom said she needed to talk to you about it... she's worried that because you were so young your parents never told you the truth. So she wanted to." Kiba's mom jumped down from the tree. Kiku surprised. "I didn't even smell her up there." Kiba nodded again. "She's wearing a new scent she's been working on called hidden leaf scent. She smells just like the woods... it is used in training new puppies to find their trainers without the use of smell." she nodded. "Kiku I may not be sure the history of your clan but I do know what is passed down from our clan... in our history... and I thought you should know... the ninja cats jutsu art was lost when they split from the clan... those in that book were meant to teach the cats their own personal moves... there was also more that they probably never told you."

Kikumari looked at the book then up at Kiba's mother. "the cat and dog clans were each other's yin and yang... the head family's from both sides used to be the best of friends until they got in an argument over a girl and the two friends split. The head of the katsu left the village and moved all his followers to the other side of the village... it enraged the head of our clan so much that he believed war was the only option. Naturally the Hokage forbid it. the first was a wise leader... however believing that he was right the head of our clan called a meeting with the head of the katsu to bring a troop of his most loyal supporters to the outskirts of the village for a treaty meeting."

Kiku sat down and listened intently. Kiba sat down to. "But it wasn't what the katsu had thought it was... when they showed up they were attacked... the head of our clan brought the full force of our clan down on the katsu... and killed them all. Your grandfather became the head of your clan after that as he was next in line. Your grandfather was young though so the threat of war weighed on him. My father pled with my grandfather not to attack the katsu clan but he had his mind made up... he led a group of his loyal shoulders to attack the katsu but lord second stopped him. He was banished from the village along with any of his supporters who wouldn't leave the katsu's alone."

Kiba and Kiku exchanged a glance then looked back at Kiba's mother. "as it turned out the way of your clan was so much like ours that nobody realized until after the fight that the katsu had been depending on our clan for training the cats... so not many cats after that ever lived up to their full potential." Kiba scowled "you gave her a history and didn't even tell her what you came to." she slapped her hand to her forehead. "Right I think I know who attacked your clan..." Kiku stood up fast. "Who!" Kiba's mother looked up. "there's been a group of ninja's we've been investigating they sneak up to the leaf every now and then but the leaf forces usually drive them away... they wear our old clan crest but they've drawn a line through it to show they no longer listen to the Hokage." Kiku got angry "rouge ninjas... wiped out my clan?" she nodded. "There scent was all over the burned down village."

Kiku thought back to when she had spoken to Sasuke before he fled the village in search of the revenge she had told him to seek. _"If you knew who had destroyed everything you loved... would you want revenge?"_ "Yes I would...!" she dashed off Neko right behind her. "Neko she said those rouge ninjas were hanging around outside the village. Let go show them who the boss is!" Kiba looked at his mother and then ran after Kikumari. "Don't do anything stupid!" "I have to do this Kiba just leave us alone!" "You're going to get yourself killed!" "I'm strong enough!" Kiba jumped in front of her and grabbed her. "Stop you're not thinking clearly... that's a whole group who knows how big vs you and your cat! You're really outnumbered!" she pushed Kiba out of the way and started running again. "I have to prove how strong I am and get back at them for what they did to us!"

She leaves the village through the gate only to bump into Gai. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" "I don't have time to talk I got to go ... do something..." she took off again. "Youth at its fullest... makes me want to run! Negi Tenten I'll run around the village time me!" he began running around the village. "Stop her... too late..." "What's wrong Kiba?" Rock lee looked at him then at Kiku who was quickly disappearing down the road. "No time lee she's going to get herself killed!" Kiba ran after Kiku. "Kiku is in trouble... wait for me!"

Way ahead of the two boys Kiku jumps into the trees. "I think we lost Kiba... let's look around." she began scenting the air. "I smell nothing here but their probably closer to the water. Come on Neko." she ran through the woods until she started to smell a group of people nearby. She jumped into the trees and sneaked over to one that was close to the opening they were gathered in. "we still have no way into the village. How are we going to get the one that got away?" one man in the group was saying to the one who must be the leader. "The Hokage has men posted at the gate who won't let us in... but we have every right to sit here and wait for her to come to us." "What do you mean?" "I lead the original clan right too us on purpose it is only a matter of time before they tell her we are out here... now we wait for her to find us then we kill her." Kiku suddenly realized it was a trap and was about to run when somebody pushed her out of the tree. "Your plan worked look who I found hiding in the tree."

She was surrounded. "The last one... consider your clan wiped out katsu scum!" "Your wrong I can... take you all on by myself!" she jumped into attack mode. Then the crowd parted in one spot and mean looking ninja trained dogs padded into the circle. "Oh... snap..." the dogs jumped into the air but Kiku was able to knock them all down with a spin sweep she had learned from watching lee spar with Negi. This enraged the human members of the group and they began attacking her. The dogs jumped back up and attacked again. She fought them back but soon became overwhelmed. "There's just too many!" suddenly Akamaru and Kiba fang over fang barged into the group knocking some of them back. And lee jumped in on the other side knocking the rest down. "Kiba... lee..." they smiled "we weren't about to let you go killing yourself over you revenge plan." lee nodded agreeing with Kiba "so we will help." the group of men got back up. "Look one of our old clan has come to save the little katsu girl. Ha-ha this is too cute!" Kiba got angry. "What have you got against them anyway? The fight between our clans ended years ago!" "It's the principle of the thing! Go shadow art! Floor binding jutsu!" suddenly the ground became sticky. They couldn't lift their feet. "What a fine mess were in now..." Kiba said trying to move his feet. "Wait a second..." Kiku remembered her training with Shikamaru how he had thought her how to tell reality from genjutsu. "It's not real... its genjutsu." they all stopped and gathered their chakra "release!" but as soon as they did the group was gone. "Where did they go?" Kiba sniffed the air. "Still here but where?"

"Wood style wooden cell." a wooden trap encaged the three of them. "Now you'll see just how your clan felt when we burned them to the ground!" the leader said looking over at a smaller group of ninjas standing next to the cage. "Lee we need to break this wood!" lee focused his energy. "Gates 1, 2, and 3 open!" lee smashed into the cage shattering it. "Good job lee!" he then sped forward knocking the leader off his feet. "Ok guys back up plan we've been waiting for this come on!" he shouted when lee grabbed the front of his shirt. "Water style! Water lock jutsu!" Kiku became trapped in a bubble of water. "I've seen this jutsu before Kiba... if we don't hurry she'll drown!" Kiba tried punching the water but nothing happened. Kiku tried gathering her chakra but she could feel nothing was happening. Lee looked the leader right in the eyes. "make them stop tell them to stop right now!" he only laughed "fine I'll make them stop then!" lee punched the leader and he flung a couple feet away slamming into a tree and then falling to the ground.

Kiba and Akamaru attacked the water style users with fang over fang. With the water users knocked out Kiku was freed she fell to the ground gasping for air. Kiba fought the rest of the men who kept trying to attack Kiku. Kiku wasn't strong enough to pull herself up her energy had been drained by the water lock. She laid there helplessly watch lee and Kiba try to fight back the group of enemy's. Just when it looked like they might get over powered a bunch of men in masks jumped out of the trees and took out the group with ease. Kiku stopped trying so hard to stay awake and passed out.

She awoke in the hospital. "Oh good you're ok... we were starting to worry about you Kikumari." one of the masked men was standing at the foot of the bed. Sitting next to her Kiba was passed out drooling everywhere and lee was sitting strait up. "You're ok! Oh that's great. Kiba she's awake get up!" lee elbowed Kiba and he jumped up. "What! I'm awake!" Kiku giggled. "Oh you're awake? How do you feel?" Kiba said sitting back down. "Like I nearly drowned... where is Neko?" the cat began to purr and then jumped up on the bed. "Neko didn't get caught in the water lock. That's lucky..." lee said then turned to the masked man. "You helped us out might we know why?" "I am a member of the Anbu black ops team we serve the Hokage. We were informed about a group of rouge ninja's and that young Miss Katsu was running off on her own to fight them good news is they have run off. So you won't have to worry about them again." the strange masked man jumped out the window and disappeared.

"I don't feel bad anymore I want to get back to training!" Kiba slapped his face "you've been hanging out with lee to much... but actually that's why I had come looking for you in the first place... since we are about the same power level with the same move types I thought we should train together." she nods "yeah that sounds great!" lee put his thumb up. "And I will help!" they leave the hospital together it was early in the morning the sun was just coming out. They saw team 10 returning from their mission Naruto wasn't far behind coming back from his own thing. "Somethings wrong..." Kiku says watching the group. "I feel it too somethings wrong." lee runs over to the group Kiku and Kiba follow him. "Naruto what has happened... why do you all look so sad..." Kiku sees Asuma isn't there. Team ten continues on their way without speaking. "Hey wait!" lee started after them but Kiku grabbed his arm. "Lee... take a good look..." he looks around. "Wait where's...Asuma..." he turns to Naruto. "Asuma... is dead...he died fighting the akatski..."

"No..." Kiku put her hands over her mouth. Kiba started crying and so did lee. "That's awful..." lee screams. "Believe it..." he said downhearted. "I'm not even all sure what happened but I met team 10 outside awhile down the road and that's all I could get them to say..." kakashi over heard them. "Did you just say that Asuma died...? Naruto..." Naruto nodded. Kiku could since that kakashi was overwhelmed with grief. He turned away so nobody could see his face and then he ran away. Kiku had tears streaming down her face. "I didn't get a chance to know him that well but still... it's so sad." Kiba's eyes got wide. "Kurnai sensei! I have to go!" Kiba ran off. "We should tell Gai sensei." lee said "yeah ok..." Naruto walked the other way.

After a bit they ran into Gai training with Negi and Tenten. "Lee you're not really the best at breaking news to people... maybe I should take this one..." lee nodded. They walked up to Gai the sad faces hadn't left them. "Why the long faces you two?" Gai said. Negi and Tenten looked serious however Gai was still joking. "Sensei we have some rather bad news..." lee said looking at Kiku. His smiled faded. "What kind of bad news? Like bad hair day news? I don't like bad news..." Kiku took a deep breath while Negi and Tenten moved in closer to hear the news. "According to Naruto who was told by team 10... Asuma...sensei... died this day... fighting the akatski." at first Gai thought they were joking and he half laughed. "Good one Kiku trying to fool me... but that's not something you really should joke about." Tenten covered her mouth tears welled up in her eyes. Negi didn't look amused. His laugh and smile faded when he realized nobody else was laughing. "Wait... you're... serious?" Kiku nodded yes.

"Excuse me children but... I have... I left my oven on..." Gai took off into the village and disappeared. "Oh poor team 10... Losing a sensei I couldn't imagine how they must be feeling right now..." Tenten said tears began to roll down her face. She hugged Negi to make herself feel better. "Tenten..." Negi tried to comfort Tenten but he didn't know what to do. So he just patted her back softly making an awkward face. "It's ok Tenten." Negi said looking at lee for help. But that went right over lee's head. Kiku decided to go home to her tree house.

here's where the time line I'm using gets tricky... it says the year changes after this point... but there was never any talk about what was going on for their holidays so I'm going to go ahead and throw in some Christmas stuff and other holidays because none of those are mentioned and at this point there's not snow to otherwise suggest it was even close.

After a few more weeks it started getting colder thanksgiving was right around the corner and Kikumari was getting ready for another training session with Kiba. They'd been working since the day after Asuma's funeral to get stronger. She pulled her outfit on just as a bird flew through the window. "It's Gaara's messenger bird... Neko no Neko not your dinner you stop that!" the cat batted at the bird but then stopped when Kiku yelled at her. She took the message off the bird.

"Hey its Gaara... you probably knew that already... I was wondering... I mean my sister and brother wanted to know if... we'd like to ask you to join us for thanksgiving... I mean we aren't' doing anything but still... I mean it's a holiday and everything... and this message is starting to get long... if you want to come over its cool. - Gaara of the sand."

"Look Neko we've been invited to the sand village... Neko stop doing that!" she caught Neko trying to get the bird again. Neko stopped and put her tail around her legs. "Honestly you going to do that every time Gaara sends me a letter?" the cat purred. "Well I think we should go... but first we have to meet Kiba for training come on Neko!" they ran outside and saw Kiba had been waiting for them. "Alright let's get started." Kiku nodded and charged in for an attack. Kiba greets her attack with one of his own. "Come on you can do better than that Kiku! Akamaru fang over fang!" "Neko claw over claw!" there attacks collide and then both land on the ground.

"It appears we are evenly matched..." Kiba laughs. "Nope I've still got my weighs on." Kiba's eyes get wide. "Really? You've been going easy on me?" she smiles. "Just a little." Kiba sighs. "Well I guess you are stronger then me then... but you still got your butt kicked by a bunch of thugs." he starts laughing. "Yeah but I wasn't expecting them to use water style... or wood style... that was very strange..." Kiba looked up at the sky. "Yeah that was weird... so what are you doing tomorrow?" Kiku smiled. "Gaara invited me to his village... so I will probably head over that way." Kiba nodded. "Yeah that's sounds fun... I'll probably just go home and sit at boring dinner with my boring family... oh sorry..." Kiku thought about the last thanksgiving with her parents.

"Not a care in the world back then... and now it's just been me and Neko... for a few years..." Kiba stands up dusts off his jacket. "Actually I have to go now... same time first thing next week ok." she nodded and Kiba jumped into the air and disappeared quickly. She stood up dusted off and started walking towards the gate. "I wonder what it'll be like... I've never seen Gaara extremely excited about anything I can't imagine it'd be very boring though?"

Her and Neko run through the woods at the highest speed they can stopping only once for a drink. When they arrive at the sand village it's nearly night. She walks down the street looking around at all the decorations in front of the stores. "The sand village is so lovely this time of year...don't you think Neko?" the cat meows. She passes the sand training yard where some kids are playing. "Water style! Ha water beats fire I win!" the kid was boasting while the other one grumbled. "My family's fire jutsu is way better than your water style!" they continued to go back and forth until the water kid started using signs for a real jutsu. "Water style wave jutsu!" the small kid summoned on a small wave but it was enough to knock the fire kid over. The fire kid jumped back up and started using his jutsu but then the sand started moving and grew taller until the shape of Gaara appeared. "Now you aren't fighting are you?" they both seemed struck by fear. "No Kazekage... we were... practicing our jutsu... not fighting..." they hugged each other pretending to be friends. "a-ha alright then... just remember I'm watching you." he turned and see's Kiku. "Gaara I was just wondering where I might find you." "I'm not Gaara I'm a sand clone... he put a few of us out here to make sure everything's alright in the village." "Oh... well do you know how to get to the kazekage's house?" the clone pointed to the tall build down the street. "You can't miss it. It's the biggest one." "Thanks" she started down the road again. She went to knock on the door but it opened before she could touch it. "Oh you actually came..." Temari looked surprised. "Kankuro didn't think you'd actually show up... you owe me 10 bucks bro!"

Kiku raised her eye brow. "You bet weather or not I'd show up? Why did you think I wouldn't?" they exchanged a glance he shrugged. "Gaara's in the office space just finishing up some paperwork and..." Gaara appeared at the top of the steps. "Actually I'm done now... do come upstairs and join me won't you?" he disappeared around the wall again. Kiku ran up the stairs after Gaara. "I hope you don't mind but the office is a mess and the only other place we any room right now to sit is my room. Or the dining hall and really I don't feel like sitting in a big empty room... not right now anyway..." "I don't mind... it's probably the only place your brother and sister won't bug us..." she said smelling that they were following.

Once inside they sat down. "Nice room... my tree house isn't nearly this nice..." she said looking around. "You live in a tree?" Gaara said raising his eye brow. "Yes... I ever since my home burned down... I've been living in an old tree house...I thought you knew." he shook his head. "No I had no idea..." Temari knocked on the door but then got quite. Gaara started laughing for no reason. "What?" Kikumari said confused. "I chased her away with my sand... you didn't see it but it was funny." Kiku giggled. "Sounds like you're having more fun now..." Gaara nodded. "I don't understand how somebody can live in a tree... without any power or anything..." she nods "it's been hard adjusting... Iruka did give me this neat little solar powered lamp that lights up after the sun goes down... I've been using it as a night light... the dark is a scary place..."

"I know what you mean... the dark is something to be feared... I haven't slept in days... these dark lines I draw around my eyes are to cover up the lines I get from not sleeping..." "Oh that makes since... but I like it... it brings more attention to your face... and it... really brings out the color of your eyes." she begins to get lost in his eyes until she snaps herself out of it. "My eyes?" she nods. "Yeah I mean look..." she pulls a pocket mirror out of her bag and holds it up to his face. "I don't see anything?" she rolls her eyes. "Of course you don't they are your eyes after all..." Gaara stares at Kiku for a moment until it gets awkward. "I don't see anything in yours either... what am I supposed to be looking for?" she puts the mirror down. "you're not really looking for anything... it's just this nice feeling you get when you see pretty eyes I don't know how to explain it." he looks again. "I feel...happy?" she nods "I'm sure you'll get it eventually... but close enough."

"I heard a few weeks ago a shinobi in your village died... who it was?" she frowns. "It was Asuma sensei... the leader of team 10... Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru." suddenly Temari burst the door open. "Is Shikamaru ok? Tell me what happened!" Gaara got this angry look on his face that went away and was replaced with a gentler look. "Shikamaru is fine... he's a little upset still but... he's getting over it slowly... he's even started training again..." Kiku became overwhelmed and began to cry. "Asuma sensei... it's so sad... he didn't even get to see his baby be born..." Temari nodded "it is sad but whatever killed him must have been strong... the other members of team 10 are lucky that's all they lost..." she took a deep regaining breath and left the room closing the door behind her.

"Stop crying Kiku... its... making my heart hurt..." he reach up to remove the tear from her face. He looked in her eyes and finally understood. "Oh is this the feeling you meant when you were talking about my eyes... it's like my heart has a cramp..." Kiku nodded. "Yeah that's it..." "Tell me why... what is this I feel... this constant... pain in my chest... I was once told was love... why is it that I can't stop thinking about you all the time... no matter what I do your always on my mind." Kiku smiled. "Whoever told you it was love was right. And I have the same about you at least I'm pretty sure that's right I've never felt anything quite so strong." he nodded in agreement. He turned away quickly and shook his head. "What Gaara?" "It's so new... I... I don't know how to react in this situation..." "Well we have only just been friends up to this point..."

Kankuro's voice from outside the door. "Just kiss already!" Gaara made an angry face and there was a screaming sound and fleeing footsteps. Kiku turned red blushes. "That's not really any of their business now is It." he said turning back to Kiku. "Sorry... about that..." Gaara sighed. She giggled. "It's ok... I... I always wondered what it was like to have a sibling... I never did know any children from my clan..." Gaara put his hand on her shoulder. "Well I'm here now... at least there's that right." she smiles and hugs Gaara.

"Maybe Kankuro is right though..." he looks at Kiku. "Maybe... well..." he turned red and starts stammering making no audible since. Kiku scotched over closer to Gaara. "Gaara...?" their faces were so close they could feel the heat from each other's breath. Gaara turned tomato red "I still don't know what to do..." he started talking again but Kiku put her finger up. "Just let it out... whatever you're feeling just let it go." he bit his lip back for a second as if thinking about what to do. Then Neko jumped up behind him and knocked him forward. Before either of them had time to react they were kissing. For a time they were lost in the moment. Then suddenly realizing what was happening they both pulled away. At the same time both of them started talking. "Sorry..."

They were both red in the face. "Actually... I kind of liked that..." Gaara managed to mutter out. He put his hand under her chin and looked into her eyes again. "Gaara..." "it hurts... what will make it stop hurting..." the pause allowed her just enough time to decide. "This might help..." she leaned forward and kissed him once more. They stopped and looked deeply into each other's eyes. At this point both of them were confused about their relationship status but neither knew how to ask. Gaara started trying to think of less awkward ways to ask but not knowing much about romance wasn't helping. Kiku started to ask first. "Gaara... what now...?" "I... um... we should... oh I'm at a loss of words here..." Kiku smiled

"I understand Gaara... it's still all new to you... its new to me too I've never felt this way before... I don't even know what to do either... but I do know that... I won't find anyone like you in the world not even if I tried... and... I would love to... oh this is silly..." she turns red. Suddenly it dawns on him the perfect way to ask her. "You wish to be mine then?" perfect for him anyways. She looks up into his eyes again. "Yes..." Kiku noticed that in a frame on the bed side table was the framed photo the two had taken when they last hung out. "you actually kept it..." he grinned "of course I wanted to remember the first time I was truly happy..." she raised an eyebrow. "With you I mean... I wasn't ever truly happy until I met you."

Gaara flopped back on his bed staring at the ceiling. "It's amazing how much one person can effect everything... and how you view the world in its self..." Kiku nodded in agreement. He laid there for a bit with his arms behind his head. "I got TV you want to watch?" she raised her eye brow again. "I haven't watched TV in a few years... but ok." Gaara turned on the TV, a romantic comedy was on. They watched for a bit with Gaara laying down and Kiku sitting up then she got tired and laid down to. This surprised Gaara and he turned to look at her. She laid her head on his arm and wrapped him in a laying down hug. He thought for a minute then smiled and turned back to the TV. Before they knew it they had both fallen asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning Temari opened the door to see if Gaara was awake. "Gaara... oh my goodness... how adorable... Kankuro come here quickly..." they both stood in the doorway giggling. Suddenly the sand moved and pushed them away and closed the door locking it. Gaara smiled and then went back to sleep. A couple hours later Kiku woke up she realized she had fallen asleep in Gaara's room hugging him and at first she didn't know what to think. But then she decided it was ok because he hadn't told her not to. So she snuggled up closer and buried her face into his side. He opened his eye barely awake. "That was like the best sleep I ever had..." Kiku mumbled "yeah... and it was nice to sleep on a big bed for once. Mine is old and creaky... and worn out."

For a while they laid there neither one of them wanted to get out of bed. Gaara turned and faced Kiku. "I think... I ... no I'm sure I... I like having you around... I don't like you sleeping alone in a tree so far away..." she sat up a pained look on her face. "I wish I could stay but all my friends are in the leaf... all those who took me in when I could have been driven out more easily..." he nodded. "The offer still stands if you change your mind." she was about to reply when she smelled the air. "Do you smell that... it smells great?" Gaara sat up too taking a deep breath. "That'd be Temari's cooking... she's not half bad..." they stood up and walked out the door. Down in the dining hall they saw Temari setting up plates. "Oh good your awake... finally... dinner is almost ready you should have a seat." Temari pointed to the chair at the head of the table then hustled out of the room.

Gaara pulled out the seat next to his and then sat in his own seat. "Thank you Gaara." Kiku smiled and sat down next to him. Temari and Kankuro started bringing in trays Gaara got up and walked back with them using his sand to carry the rest. Kiku and Neko both stared at the food. "This is the most food I have ever seen in one place..." she looked at Neko who meowed in agreement. Gaara nodded at Temari motioned to Kankuro who then uses his puppet to cut the turkey into pieces.

After they ate they all sat around the table with their guts busting out. "Best one yet Temari." Kankuro said picking his teeth. Gaara nodded in agreement. "Yes much better than last years…" they both make a weird face.

Kiku giggled "I'm sure it wasn't that bad…" Temari made the face too. "Well I didn't cook it wrong but something was off with that turkey." Gaara stood up. "Well that was a great meal now I think I will go and make sure everything is right with the town." He bowed and then headed out of the hall… "Thank you" Kiku bowed and then ran after Gaara. "I'm going to go for a walk would you like to join me?" Gaara said not turning around. "Sure why not." Kiku said smiling. They left the hokage's sand hut and began walking around town.

They walked around the town which seemed deserted because nobody was outside. Kiku noted that most families had their blinds open and were eating in their homes but some houses had the blinds shut. She even saw that some people were peeking out the blinds as they walked past. "Looks like everything ok on this side of town… lets go this way next." Gaara went down a different road and Kiku followed him. This road was the same as the last. Either the blinds were open, and the families were happy, or they were closed. After checking all the roads they stopped at an empty lot. "Another sunken house?" Kiku wondered. Gaara turned to Kiku serious "fight me." She raised her eyebrow. Gaara got into a battle ready stance. "Fight me do not hold back."

"But I don't want to fight you…" Gaara started flinging sand at Kiku. "Come on fight me let's see how strong you are." She dodged the sand darting forward and ducking left and right. "You're faster than I thought but you can't out run my sand." He pulled the sand under Kiku's feet and sent it into the air. She jumped off the sand "I'm not going to be able to win against Gaara what is he trying to prove?" she kept thinking. Gaara put his arm up and formed a wave of sane behind him. "We can get through that… Neko ready?" Gaara bought the wave down on Kiku. "Now Neko claw over claw!" the wave of sand crashed over them as they started spinning. For a moment Gaara thought he had won but then they pushed their way out spinning right at him. He grinned "alright then that's better." They hit Gaara's sand shield knocking them back. Kiku grabbed the buckles on her weights and pulled them off. "Oh you train with weights like lee does… interesting." She disappeared. "What? Where?" there was a flash behind Gaara but it was gone before he turned around. As soon as he looked to see what it was Kiku appeared in front of him. She built up chakra in her hands and used it to push Gaara backwards.

He fell to the ground his sand armor started to crack. Gaara started laughing wildly. "What?" Kiku was now even more confused. "Well it's just that I didn't think you'd be able to hit me… I should have known that training with lee you'd pick up a few things… the speed is one I never did quite figure out how to beat. However… even though you hit me it shouldn't have cracked my armor… where did you learn that technic?" Kiku helped Gaara up off the ground. "Negi taught me that. Building up chakra in your feet helps you walk on water… building it up in your hands can make you attacks stronger. But it takes really good chakra control."

He nodded. "I was worried that you were not strong enough but if you can land a hit on me then you're plenty strong." She thought back to when she had tried to take revenge on the rouge ninja's who destroyed her home. "I'm strong when it doesn't matter… I wasn't strong enough to get revenge on the rouge ninjas who destroyed my home…" he nodded. "Yes I had heard about that…" she sat on the ground and clipped her weights back on. "How did you know about that?" "Naruto told me… its strange though that there was a wood style user… that's a rare talent." She smiles leaning back on her hands. "you know I have something impressive to show you… it turns out I'm and earth nature type and I'm able to do a few small tricks now… though I haven't fully mastered them…" she picked up a hand full of sand and used the other hand to gather her chakra. Slowly the sand began to move it swirled around slowly then exploded and flew out of her hand. "See I haven't quite managed to master it yet but I can make the sand move a little."

Gaara stared at Kiku's empty hand. "You… made it move… impressive… but it'll be awhile before your able to do this sort of thing." He freely moved his sand around him showing off. She stood up and pushed him playfully. "Yeah, yeah show off just because I can't move the sand doesn't mean I haven't learned anything else. Moving sand is something I haven't gotten yet but I do have one other thing I'm better at now." She holds her hand out and forms a rock with her chakra. Gaara smirks "is that all?" then the rock starts turning into sand and drips to the ground. "Oh you can make sane that's neat?" she nods "once I learn how to master it I'll be able to combine it with my other skill…" he raises his eyebrow "another skill? Well if it's as impressive as the ones you just showed me then the world should fear you." He chuckled she smiled "well I saved the best for last… I can't use it in a fight yet because it's not perfected… but" she starts using hand signs Gaara recognizes them right away but before he can react the jutsu is done. "Water style! Wave jutsu." His eyes grow wide "no!" to late he's drenched his sand drips down soaked to the ground.

He looks rather annoyed at Kiku. She smiles back at him. "Ok that was impressive… how did you learn that one so fast but you can barely use the earth technic?" he stood there soaked. "Water is my first nature type earth is only my second. So it's easier to… is something wrong Gaara?" he crossed his arm's "no…" she walked over to Gaara. "No somethings bugging you… what is it…" "My skin is exposed to the air… my sand is… well soaked… I've never been this… bare before… it feels weird…" she looked down noticing the wet sand on the ground. She puts her hands over her mouth. "Oh I didn't think about it… I'm so sorry…" he smiles again and starts laughing. "Got you!" she pushed Gaara down jokingly "you jerk." She said sticking her Tung out.

Gaara made the sand under Kiku move causing her to loose balance and fall over too. They both laid on the ground laughing. Kiku looked at the sky. "It's so clear… just like in the leaf… but it seems… brighter…" he looked up at the sky to. "I never noticed before…" "I noticed that you haven't tried to fix your sand armor…" he looks over at her. "I could fix it anytime I just was enjoying not needing it for once." They sat up and stared at each other. Suddenly a loud popping sound erupted they couldn't tell from where. "What was that…?" Kiku looked around then turned to Gaara. "Gaara! You're bleeding!" she rushed over to Gaara. He spit up blood. "It would appear so." "How am I supposed to help you? I can't carry you! Moving you by myself could hurt you more…" Neko mowed "right I can do a clone! But I don't know how to get to the hospital from here…" she watched Gaara in dismay. "Wait the sand clones they'd know right… but where would I find one… Gaara where are the sand clones?"

One appeared next to them "hurry this way." The clone began to run. "Neko transform I need your help." Neko and Kiku carried Gaara running after the sand clone of Gaara until they reached the door way then the clone disappeared. "He's fading fast… hurry" they burst through the door. "Please somebody help… the Kazekage… he's dyeing!" a bunch of medical ninjas began flooding into the room and carried him off on a bed. "Code red! Code red!" they disappeared behind a double door. Kiku fell to her knees in the middle of the floor. "This is all my fault… he'll never forgive me now…" a little while later Kankuro burst through the door. "Kiku… how is he… what happened…" she just stayed on the floor crying. "It's all my fault… I was just trying to show him my new jutsu… and then…"

He knelt down next to her. "Gaara's sand clone appeared only for a brief moment to tell us Gaara was injured… another one of his clones had spotted the one who did this the others gave up their chakra so that one could catch the bad guy… now tell me what happened to Gaara…" she sniffled. "I was showing off my new water style technic… and I washed his sand armor off… I don't even know what happened…" Kankuro stood up and stared at the door. "He's tough he'll make it… but the punishment for treason that's a whole other business. Attempted assassination of the Kazekage… must be dealt with. I just hope Temari is able to find the traitor."

A nurse pokes her head out of the double door and spots Kiku and Kankuro waiting. "You both here for Kazekage?" the nurse spoke softly. Kankuro nodded. "Yes he's my brother… is he alright…" the nurse nodded and opened the door. "he's been shot but he got lucky… it just barely missed his heart he should be ok within a few minutes… he's in surgery now… but it shouldn't take long… once that light there comes on you can go back and see him." She pointed to the light above the door. Then she hurried back into the back room.

Kankuro looked down at Kiku. "So what kind of new moves did you learn?" Kiku wiped the tears from her eyes. "Why do you care…" he sat down. "Well I don't know you that well and if you're going to be with my brother I figured we might as well learn to get along." "Yeah… ok… I guess it wouldn't hurt to show you now…" she held her hand up and formed the rock once more. "A rock?" he stared at it confused. "That's not all I can change the earths form into a completely new earth… I can also change the mass and weight." She turned the rock into sand and watched it fall to the ground. "Oh you're training to be like Gaara… with the sand…?" she nods "yeah I can even move it a little." She places her hand over the sand and swirls it into a ball. "Oh cool… and you learned a water something or other too… that's not bad…" he nods.

"What's you jutsu like?" Kiku asked Kankuro. "I'm a puppet master…" he said pointing to himself. "Oh that's neat… what kinds of things do the puppets do?" he kicks back in his seat. "Whatever you build them with… but making a puppet is an art all on its own…" the light came on above the room. "Look we can go in now!" she excitedly ran into the room. Laying in the hospital bed Gaara was awake staring at the ceiling. "Gaara… I'm so sorry… this is all my fault…" her eyes started to fill with tears again. "No it's not your fault… I didn't want you to know but… some people around here they don't like me…" Kankuro stepped in behind Kiku. "What is this the 5th time this month somebody has tried to kill you? You have got to be more aggressive about this it's getting out of hand."

Kiku put her hands on her face. "This has been going on all along… why didn't you tell me…?" he half smiled. "I didn't want you to worry about me… this is only the first time I've been hit… normally my sand shield protects me…" Kankuro sat in the chair at the foot of the bed and Kiku sat next to the side of the bed. "If I hadn't washed your armor away you wouldn't have gotten hurt…" "No Kiku your wrong… I may not get a flesh wound every time but the pain is always there. My pride is what takes the hits." She reaches out and grabs his hand. "I'm sorry… I should have known better then to use water against sand…" Gaara looks over at her. "It's not your fault…" Temari walks in and puts her hands on her hips. "So what are we doing about this one Gaara?"

"I hold no anger towards that person… but I'll leave the punishing up to you Temari… because Kankuro is right… this is getting out of hand…" Temari nods "alright then… how do you feel?" Gaara sat up. "It only hurts a little bit it's not the worst I've ever felt… just a flesh wound." He stands up. "I'm ready to go home now…" he forms his sand back into armor over his body. His brother and sister nod and leave the room. "So Kiku… I know your probably busy tomorrow with some other things…. In the leaf… don't forget you are always welcome here…" he bends down and pets Nekomari. "I won't forget Gaara… I'll have my moves perfected next time you see me mark my words." He smiles. "I expect you to be more challenging next time we meet." He kisses her forehead and then leaves heading back to the house.


	16. Chapter 16

Back in the leaf village Kiku is hard at work trying to perfect her new technic which is easy on the count of she's found somebody to mentor her in the combination of water and earth Jutsu. Kakashi sat nearby watching Naruto train. "Like this Kiku you've almost got it." He showed her once more. He pushed the earth up making a huge tall cliff then he pushed it back down. Kiku focused on the earth. "I can do this!" she pushed the cliff up just as Yamato had done. "I did it!" he nodded. "Great now we have to build the base of the waterfall… try pushing the earth down right here make a base to catch the water." She nodded and pushed the earth down. "Now the way you keep the earth here from turning into mud is by changing it into solid rock… you have already mastered the art of changing the earth into different forms of earth so this part shouldn't be too hard." He put his hand on the edge of the circle. "Just like this." He touched the ground for only a second and then stopped. "See it's hard as a rock now." He knocked on it and Kiku could hear it clack.

She sent her chakra through the earth all around the hole and turned the base from dirt to rock. She fell over after this. "I think I need a break… we've been training all day and for almost a month…" "very well rest then but this next parts easy… all you have to do is summon enough water to flow down the cliff… well that is right after you carve the path into the cliff there… and don't forget to put the pooling area at the top… it's like down here but more shallow."

And for another week he drove her crazy training the balance of the elements and perfecting being able to make a whole waterfall using only one move. She had finally perfected her sand moving and couldn't wait to show Gaara. Christmas was in a few days everyone else has stopped training and started celebrating by putting up decorations. Kiku finished with training until next year decided to go shopping. "Now would be as good a time as any to get Gaara something…" she walked down the road with Neko right behind her. "What should we get him Neko? You think he'd like a pair of socks?" Neko shook her head. And continued looking in all the shop windows.

Neko suddenly took off. "Neko wait for me!" Neko ran into a nearby shop and jumped up on the counter. Kiku saw that behind the counter there was many teddy bears in Santa hats wearing the headbands of the five great nations many clans and villages. "Oh I bet Gaara would love that!" she set her eyes on the teddy with the hidden sand crest on it. "Excuse me… can I have that one?" she points. The man behind the counter hands it to her. She pays and exits the store. She then heads home to her tree. She shivers in the cold as she wraps up in her blanket. "Hopefully we won't have to stay here long Neko…" she stares at the picture of her family on her bed side table. "I'm sorry I failed you… I wasn't strong enough to beat the rouges… but I swear I will get stronger." Then she fell asleep.

Christmas day she wakes up surprised to see Gaara standing at the foot of her bed. "Ah! Oh it's just you… you scared me…" he smiled. "I haven't been here long actually I just got here… kakashi helped me find you." Kakashi waved from over in the other side of the room. "I haven't been in here in years…" he said looking around. "That old bed ha I remember when we brought it up here… good times good times…" Kiku raised her eye brow. "You've been up here before kakashi sensei?" he nodded. "But along with good memories there is also bad… I'm going to go now… have fun you kids!" he jumped out the door and disappeared.

"I um… got you something…" he said holding up a box. Kiku smiled "I got you something too." She moved the sand under the bed and brought the box up to the bed using Gaara's sand cloud technic. "You mastered the sand! Great!" they exchanged boxes. "Let's open them at the same time k. one two three!" they both opened the boxes at the same time. And then both started laughing when they pulled their teddy bears out of the box. "I love it." Kiku said sticking her Tung out. Gaara held his up "oh this one's got the hidden sand crest on it how cute."

They laughed for a while longer until who should pop in but Naruto himself. "Hey Kiku… GAARA buddy! You made it… hey everyone's gathering in front of the hokage's hut to sing Christmas carols you guys coming?" she looks at Neko. "Same as last year then except you weren't here for that… yeah I guess I'll go… but only if Gaara comes." She sticks her Tung out again teasing him. "I don't sing…" he mumbled. "Come on its fun Gaara!" he pouts but agrees to go. "Fine…" he follows them out to the field where everyone else is waiting.

The group walked down to the hokage's hut together. "I see you have been training hard Kiku" rock lee said from behind her. "Yeah I have… I've been learning a lot to. I'm so lucky Yamato agreed to train me." Lee nodded. "So what are you going to do now that you're training with Gai is over?" lee said looking a bit sad. "I'll always be very grateful to Gai for training me in tijutsu… but there are things he can't teach me… and how to use my water and earth styles is one thing he can't help me with. I have to admit though I will miss kicking your butt." That seemed to get lee smiling again. "We can still fight but we won't be on the same team anymore… but then that'd be better because we'd progress at different rates! I fully intend to fight you once your training is complete." He started getting excited. Gaara half smiled. "Lee is the same as always… things in the leaf never change… but then that's what I like about the leaf."

They arrive at the hokage's hut and everyone pulls out their books. "I don't have a book…" Kiku hands Gaara a book. "Here just follow along" as the rest of them begin the first song Kiku sings with everyone else pretending not to watch Gaara as he followed along in the book but didn't sing. She could tell he wanted to but he was scared. She stood next to Gaara and started singing a little more loudly to get his focus. He looked at her and how happy she was just standing with everyone else it made his fear dissolve. He began enjoying the event more than he had originally thought. Much to everyone's surprise Gaara joined them singing the next song. After about 5 songs everyone closed their books and the group started to disband. "Wow Gaara one thing I never thought I'd see you do ever is sing… but then I guess we've been wrong before." Temari said stepping out of the crowd. Gaara turned red. "I thought I was being quite you could hear me… oh no…" Kiku smiled. "But you have such a beautiful voice Gaara…"

Temari giggled "well it's just nice seeing you having fun now…" Shikamaru pushed through the people standing next to Temari. "There you are… hey Gaara sup Kikumari. What are you guys doing over here? Standing around? Where getting ready to go inside and eat. Tsunade is letting a bunch of people come eat at the big table… she actually sent me to come find you two." Gaara looks confused at Temari "did you tell her I were here Temari?" she shakes her head no. "She knew you were here when you walked through the gate… she's expecting the Kazekage to join her. Since you're here… she said it's ok if Kiku comes too." They follow Shikamaru inside. Around the table Kiku saw Yamato, kakashi, Gai, Kurnai, Tsunade, and Shizune. "Come have a seat Gaara." Tsunade motioned at the empty seat to her left. Seeing all the important people Kikumari felt like an outcast.

Tsunade could sense that she was felling out of place. "What's bothering you Kiku?" she put her elbows on the table and her hands on her face. Kiku looked over the faces once more. "It's just… I look around and I see Jōnin… and kage even Anbu members… and here I am just a normal not important Chūnin and I just feel like… I don't really belong here…" they all looked at her. "There's no need to feel like you're not part of that group. After all we have some rather good news to share with you." Gai said putting his thumb up and smiling. "That's right we've been talking about your progress lately… that's why we invited you here…" kakashi said as he watched Shikamaru take his seat.

Shikamaru smiled and folded his arms as he listened to the others talk. "We've decided you're ready for the test." Gaara sees Tsunade motion for him to sit so he moves to the seat they have for him. "You will have to fight one of the Jōnin if you can manage to win then we'll tell you about the plan." Kiku's eyes widen. "Fight Jōnin…" she looked around the table. "I've fought Gai before… he trained me… and so did Yamato… Kurnai can't fight because she's pregnant… that leaves… kakashi…" Shikamaru speaks "you can tell she trained with me her powers of deduction are surpassed only by my own."

"Wait I have to fight kakashi! Are you serious?" she looks at the Hokage in dismay. "Yes you do. The food isn't going to be done for quite a while though." Kakashi stands up and turns to Gai. "Let's see what you student is made out of." They stare each other down for a second. Then everyone else stands up. "Well let's get this over with…" he walks outside everyone else follows kakashi. Kiku faces him outside. "You can do it Kiku! Show him what youth is all about!" Gai screamed from the sidelines as soon as they had decided to fight Shikamaru had run off to gather everyone. Kiku felt awkward being watched by so many people. "Now that everyone is here let's begin shall we."

As soon as the words left her lips Kakashi's attitude changed from normal to aggressive. "He's not going to hold anything back… very well then I won't either…" kakashi started using his lightning style. He was going for a one direct hit knock out to end the match fast. Kiku ducked under his attack at the last second she quickly unclipped her weights and then disappeared. He looked around for her. "Nice try but you forget they don't call me kakashi of the Sharingan for nothing." He pulled back his headband which he uses to cover his eye.

He looks around only catching a glimpse of Kiku appearing in different places. Little to Kakashi's knowledge she had use Neko as a clone. To distract him while she readied for an attack. "somethings not right…" he was trying to look at Kiku's chakra but the one he was watching was moving too fast for him to see for more than a second. Suddenly the ground under kakashi gave way and he sank in a sand pit up to his waste. Gaara smiled when he saw this. Tsunade and everyone else who was watching turned and looked at Gaara. Even Shikamaru thought it was him. "It wasn't me… I want to see her test herself just as much as anyone else… she learned that trick on her own…" they turned back to watch the fight continue.

Kiku stopped in front of the sand pit and put her hand down on the edge. The sand turned to rock trapping kakashi. Kiku grinned ear to ear thinking she had won. Kakashi was stunned. "Well I certainly wasn't expecting that but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." He raised his arm up using his lighting style again and smashed his arm into the ground shattering the earth. He leaped out of the hole. "I think I'll show you why they call me the copy ninja now too." He started forming a jutsu that Kiku knew "he's going to try to use fire style Neko come on! Time for our newest combo!"

"Tiger claw over claw!" they spun into kakashi before he could finish his hand signs. They landed on the ground at first it didn't look like anything had happened he just sat there. Then suddenly as if out of nowhere he collapsed to the ground. On his knee on the ground he gave lady Tsunade the thumbs up. "Alright I give up… you win…" everyone began cheering. She smiled "I can't believe that actually worked… I thought for sure he'd see that one coming… but… it worked!" Gaara walked out of the crowd and hugged Kiku. "You did great… but how…?" Kiku pulled out the book of clan history she had gotten from Kiba. "I saw this move in here which was like the original claw over claw… except that it drains a good piece of your foes chakra… I've been adding this extra piece of work to my already overburdened training schedule. It's hard to explain but the spin itself drains a little energy when it comes into contact. I just had to make it stronger." Tsunade and Shikamaru walked over to where Gaara and Kiku were standing Gai and Yamato followed them. "Congratulations Jōnin Kikumari."

Kakashi stood up and walked over to Gai. "Well her speed is certainly incredible… I couldn't follow her with my Sharingan." Gai nodded "she out runs me with the weights on I'm not surprised you couldn't see her it's like she completely disappears when she runs. Her tijutsu has gotten incredibly strong as well. Her ability to see other people's moves and learn them is quite the skill." Kakashi nods. "She's almost as good at copying as I am… yet I see her put her own twist into every move…"

Tsunade turned to Gaara. "It appears you were right after all but what made you think she was strong enough to face kakashi?" Gaara turned to kakashi. "I knew she would win I experienced her power first hand. The way she can manipulate the earth and move it… and also the way see learns from others. I saw her use technics that I thought were impossible for anyone to do…" she raises her eye brow. "Like what exactly." He turned to Tsunade "I've seen the intelligence of Shikamaru when it comes to battle strategy. I've seen her use her own charka to power her push like the Huyga clan does with their gentle fist… I've seen her and Neko master the arts like Kiba and Akamaru. She can move sand like me and I've seen her run so fast now that even kakashi couldn't follow her."

"She can do all that?" Negi only became interested when Gaara said that Kiku had use gentle fist. "That makes no sense at all… she isn't from my clan she shouldn't be able to do that… let me just take a look." Negi looked at Kiku's chakra network. "Impossible!" he saw Kiku's charka wasn't like anyone else's not only was it multiple colors but it flowed in crazy patterns. "This is nothing like I've ever seen before…" he spoke a little too loudly and people around him turned curiously. "What Negi?" Hinata asked quietly from behind him.

"Take a look at her chakra network Hinata. Maybe I'm going crazy but does that seem normal to you?" Hinata looked and put her hands over her mouth to cover a gasp. "No that… that's crazy weird Negi." Naruto leaned over. "What is it Hinata?" she turned red and fell over. "Gee Hinata are you ok? Negi what's going on?" Negi just stared at Kiku. "Her chakra… it's… not normal… it's not the color as everyone else's… it like rainbow color…" a few of them gasped.

Tsunade heard them talking and so did Kiku who had better hearing then all of them.

"I'm… a freak… but I feel so normal…" Gaara didn't know what to think he turned and looked at Kikumari. He was about to ask her if she was ok when she took off running. She ran as fast as she could to get away from all the eyes that were judging her. "There is only one place they won't be able to find us." She ran to the remains of the katsu clan village which was just the way it had been last time she was there except the buildings had collapsed more. A piece of yellow tape ran across the gate saying do not enter and a big piece of wood with the words danger and condemned. She pushed through the gap in the boards into the remains of the village. She went to the remains of her old house and jumped back into the hole in the ground where she had found the history book years ago.

"What's wrong with me Neko… why can't I just be normal like everyone else!" she kicked the old chair over and it shattered. "I know what's wrong with you." A voice sounded from the shadows. Kiku turns to see a white haired man emerge from the shadow. "Who are you? How did you find me down here?" he walks forward "I've been watching you for a long time katsu and I've come to extend an offer" Kiku suddenly realizes she's seen this man before. "Wait I've seen you before… your kabuto from the Chūnin exam a couple years ago… what do you want?" he grins "I've been watching you Kiku… for many years… while it was Sasuke my master wanted it was you I had an interest in." she stepped back frightened. "You see unlike my friend I had other experiments I wanted to try… I have to say at first I didn't think you'd be much I thought I had failed… but it seems I was wrong. When your village burned to the ground I saw my whole experiment go up in smoke after so many children that I had been experimenting on had died."

Kiku stepped back once again bumping into the table. "You were created by me all you are is because of me. But don't you love the power? Don't you love being above everyone else? Your skills are unmatched you learn from every battle like a human robot. And now confirmed by the Huyga brats your chakra has done just what I had been hoping it would." She stared at kabuto in disbelief. "You're the one who turned me into this… but… I was normal…" kabuto nodded. "I was confused at first too after all I had done the experiment so long ago I had thought it failed turns out all it took to spark the change was for you to be older and now that you are it has finally kicked in." she looked at her hands. "The reason I can do things that other people can do…" he grinned "yes… my experiment was trying to change the nature of chakra itself make it aware of its surrounds make it able to learn. And it worked perfectly…"

She looked at kabuto. "Did my parents know about this?" he started laughing. "Who do you think gave you up to me as a test subject? It wasn't the Hokage!" "My mom and dad… knew you did this to me… why didn't they tell me…" he continued laughing. "You parents were stubborn at first. She's just a baby they said. She's not old enough for this kind of stuff they said. But look at you now. If they were alive I know they'd be proud of the choice they made to give you up. Come with me Kiku you can finally get revenge on those who burned down your home."

Suddenly a wave of sand burst into the room pressing kabuto against the wall. Gaara walked in staring at kabuto with a very angry look on his face. "The Kazekage to the rescue… tell me how did it feel to die Gaara?" Gaara just stared at kabuto. "That's enough out of you. Are you alright Kiku?" she nodded slowly still taking in what she'd just learned. "Good, sand coffin" he crushed kabuto with his sand but instead of exploding kabuto turned to smoke. "Damn it was just a clone…" he turned to Kiku. "You ran away before we could finish telling you about your new status… what's wrong?" she broke down and started crying. "I'm a freak… he… he just told me… I…" Gaara put his arms around Kiku and hugged her. "There's nothing wrong with you… you're a very skilled ninja." She buried her face in Gaara's shirt.


	17. Chapter 17

Back at Kiku's tree house her close friends had gathered to reassure her. She sat on the edge of her bed next to Gaara crying. "It's not a bad thing Kiku… if anything its really cool because you get to be stronger than anyone else in the village." Tenten said standing in the group of friends. "Hey cheer up Kiku it's not like you have a monster inside you or anything like that." Naruto said leaning up against the wall next to Shikamaru. "I still don't understand how it's possible to just make someone's chakra do that…" Shikamaru said leaning against the wall looking down not talking to anybody in particular.

Negi nodded at what Shikamaru had said. "Excuse me you guys excuse me let me through." Kakashi pushed through the group of teens with Gai right behind him. "We heard about what happened… lady Tsunade wants a full report so you're going to have to tell us what happened." She looks up at kakashi. "Kabuto… he said something about experimenting on children who had died in the fire… said he was trying to change chakra nature make it smarter… whatever he did to me… I'm the only one that survived it…" kakashi nodded. "That guy… if I had to guess his experiment was nothing good… after all he works for Orochimaru. And Orochimaru was kicked out of the leaf for illegally experimenting on people…"

Kiku hugged closer to Gaara. "He said that I display what he was trying to accomplice… and he was trying to make chakra learn… what does that mean for me?" kakashi exchanged a glance with Gai. "Maybe it just means you will be a more splendid ninja." Rock lee said sticking his thumb up and smiling. Kakashi and Gai exchanged another worried glance and looked at lee the back at Kiku. "It's not that bad Kiku… actually you're not the only one who was… unwillingly tested by Orochimaru and his partners." Yamato pushed through the growing crowd. "Yamato..." kakashi started to stop him from talking but decided it'd be better to let him decide to tell her or not. Kiku looked up at Yamato.

"There are others?" he nodded. Kakashi herded the teens out of the tree house. "Give us a minute to talk to her guys wait over there." Yamato waited for the teens to leave. The only ones in the tree house now were Kiku, Gaara, Yamato, kakashi, and Gai. Yamato sat on Kiku's other side. "this isn't easy to talk about I know how you feel very well… yes there are others and you're looking at one right now." Her eyes widened as she looked up at Yamato. "Yamato sensei… is that true." He nodded. "My wood style is a result of Orochimaru experiment… I was the only one who made it out alive… sometimes I look at myself and realize I'm not normal because this isn't the way I was born either… but if you look at it as a gift instead of a curse… then you can become an even better shinobi for it."

This made her feel better knowing she wasn't the only one and that Yamato to have shared some of her fears and pain. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Think positive… learning like this I could use any technic… but even just that little bit of water and earth style I tried drained a huge chunk of my chakra…" Naruto poked his head back in the door to peak in and see what was happening. "Your ability to learn moves like that makes you a good sparring partner too." Naruto said from the door. She looked at the door to see Naruto and behind him the others were all standing in the tree. "You could all still care about me even though I'm not… normal?" they all nodded and smiled.

She let go of Gaara and stood up. She turned to Yamato. "Your right if I stay positive there's nothing really wrong with me." Yamato nodded "that's the spirit kid!" Tsunade jumped up into the door way from the ground. "What's going on up here?" kakashi gives her the full details. "I see well then since nothing seems to be wrong why we don't get back to the kage hut… we still got dinner to eat you slow pokes." They followed Tsunade back to the Hokage hut and ate.

After they had all eaten Tsunade nudged Gaara. "Give her the thing." Gaara turned to Kiku. "Why do I have to do it you're the one who wants her to have it." She frowned. "Because you're closer." He rolled his eyes. "Here the Jōnin all pitched in to get you this pin to commemorate your promotion to Jōnin." He hands her a small box. She opens the box. Inside the box is a small gold pin that says Jōnin on it. She in overwhelmed with emotion. "Thank you I love it." She sticks the pin on her dress strap. The other Jōnin look down at their own outfits to make sure they still have their pins.

Tsunade stands up from the table. "Another great year hopefully next year is just as good. But now I have papers to do. I'll see you guys later." She walks off upstairs. Everyone begins to leave except kakashi who instead walks over to Gaara. Kiku is just out of ear shot so she can't hear what their talking about but she sees Gaara turn red in the face. She strains her ears to hear them. "You asked her to move to the sand village?" Gaara nods "but she said she'd feel like she was abandoning the leaf…" kakashi nods. "Girls are so hard to understand sometimes… just wait for her to figure it out." Gaara looks down at the floor. "I'm just also worried that I haven't completely understood what we've been doing this whole time… and that it's just so confusing… it making me hurt… and I don't know why." He puts his hand over his heart. Kakashi laughs "that's normal Gaara… completely normal." Gaara looks confused at kakashi. "It's normal then what's wrong with me." "That's love Gaara…" Gaara's eyes widened and Kiku could tell he was remembering something.

"I was told once about love… but it turned out that it was a lie… how do I know it's not a lie kakashi?" Gaara turned to look at Kiku who was pretending to mind her own business. "You don't" Gaara looked at kakashi with confusion. "You never really know if it a lie or not… nobody ever really knows." Gaara looked back at Kiku. "The heart doesn't lie though… if you feel it in your heart then you have to know it to be true." Gaara grabbed his heart. "Feel it in my heart…" kakashi nods. "I have to be going kid but don't worry you will find your way merry Christmas." Kakashi waved goodbye.

"it doesn't surprise me that he hasn't got a clue what love is really… his own father tried to kill him… his mother died before he even knew her… he was all alone his whole life." She thought to herself. "Kiku… are you ready to go?" she snapped out of her day dream and looked up to see Gaara staring down at her. She stood up fast. "Yeah I'm ready to go." They walked out together. "I've been thinking about what you asked me the other day…" Gaara raised his eyebrow. "Measuring the weight of everything that's important to me… I feel like living in the sand village wouldn't be so bad… but I don't think we're ready for that step yet… I've been thinking about moving but I just don't know if I can see myself… fitting in there…" Gaara nods "I understand… take your time… it's no rush."

The day after New Year's they start handing out jobs again. Kiku runs to look at the missions. "Kiku look at this an A rank mission… but it looks easy…" she picks up a piece of paper that simply reads "defeat this guy who's been tormenting our village." She looks at the guy behind the job desk. "Hey I want to take this one." He looks at it and raises his eye brow. "That's an A rank mission Chūnin aren't allowed to go on A rank missions without a Jōnin." She shows the man her pin from Tsunade. "Oh you got a promotion… well then Kiku whom will you be taking with you on this mission?" she slaps her forehead. "That's right I have to take a team because it's a high rank…" she thinks for a moment.

"Hey Kiku. Taking a job I see." Rock lee walked up to the stand. "Yeah I was going to take this one but I forgot I need a team to do an A rank mission… so I probably will have to pick another job." Lee looked at the paper she was holding. "I'll go but we still need two more people." Kiba and Shino walked over to the job desk. "We're in what the job." She hands him the paper. "Defeat this guy? That doesn't sound like an A rank mission? Oh well lets go." They sign up for the mission and head towards the gate. "Does anybody know where this village is?" they exchange looks with each other. "It's over by the fire temple that's all I know." Shino stated.

As they walked they chatted. "So Shino… I've seen you around the village but what is it you actually do?" he talks without turning his head. "I work with bugs." She seems confused. "No I meant your jutsu… not your hobby." "I work with bugs." Shino stated again. Still confused she turns to Kiba. "He's a bug user… they fight with bugs…" Kiku nods remembering the scroll she had read about all the clans. "You're an Aburame then?" Shino nods one time. "The insects seem to like you…" he said to Kiku who didn't understand. "What do you mean?" she looked down and saw that many bugs had attached to her dress. "Bugs!" she screamed jumping up and down and brushing them off. "They aren't going to hurt you… they don't bite unless I tell them to." Her skin started crawling "I don't like bugs…" Shino sighs "everyone is the same it's only our clan that really cares about the bugs… except that one clan of bee tamers… now that's a clan you should be scared of."

They walk to the fire temple. Outside the temple door there in a man standing. "Who goes there… ahh ninja's from the leaf… you're here for that job request yes?" they nod. "Good I was wondering when you'd show up. The letter said you'd be heading this way. So I waited here." Kiba and rock lee looked around. "What seems to be the issue?" the man laughed "there is no problem I just want someone worthy enough to fight me. Tormenting useless villagers isn't fun I want something with more spice to it." Confused they just stand there. "Is this guy serious…?" Kiku stared at the man.

Suddenly the man jumped into battle mode catching everyone off guard. He swung and knocked Shino into Kiba sending them both flying down the stone steps. Lee readied himself for battle he started unwrapping his wrist ties. "That was a dirty trick mister but now you have started something. I don't intend to hold back now." He rushed at the man and jumped into the air ready to bring his heel down on the man's head. The man swiftly dodged and then seeing lee try a sweep attack after landing jumped over it easily. It was obvious that lee was outmatched Kiku tried to think of a way to help. The man kept ducking every move lee made.

"I just cannot hit him!" lee shouted just then the man grabbed one of lee's punches and through him down the steps into the returning Kiba and Shino who got knocked back down. Kiku pulled the weights strap and they fell to the ground. "I can do this… I can do this…" she went over and over the strategy in her mind. "I am a Jōnin now the Hokage and the sensei's have faith in me… I will not let them down." She runs charging right at the man. Although she is fast he predicts her moves just as easily as if she was lee. He blocked and ducked under each attack. "How can he be faster than me? That's nearly impossible." "Tijutsu users stand no chance against me! You'll never hit me!" she stopped attacking and began to build her chakra. "But I'm not a tijutsu user! And you've just given me your weakness!" she yells as she signs. "Water style! Waterfall jutsu!" the man gets a surprised face as the wave crashes over him washing the man down the steps but also knocking down Kiba, lee, and Shino who were almost to the top again.

She ran down the steps after them. "Sorry guys!" they stood up and faced the man who was once again ready to battle. "Water well that was a surprise… you might be worth fighting after all." The man started to charge for Kiku again but was blocked lee who ran in front of him ducking low and trying to get in a punch to the gut. The man stopped however and grabbed lee's punch. "You'll have to do better than that." Kiba and Akamaru used fang over fang trying to catch the man off guard but he disappeared at the last minute and Kiba hit lee. "Oh gosh lee! I'm so sorry!" Shino sent out a cloud of bugs to attach to the man but instead they clung onto Kiku. "Seriously Shino!" he shrugs "they aren't listening to me…"

The man laughed. "You'll never be able to use anything against me face it I'm too much for you! Just die now!" with those words it suddenly became a fight to survive. The man started signing his jutsu. "Fire style! Kiba look out!" Kiku ran forward pushing Kiba out of the way just as the man finished his jutsu. "Fire style! Raging flame!" fire shot from both of his hands. "I don't have enough time to use a jutsu… but I can use a decoy." She jumps away at high speeds leaving a clone behind. It bursts after taking the hit. "A substitute how lame!" from in the air Kiku used a jutsu she had never done before. "Water style water lock jutsu!" this took the man by surprise again.

Kiku looked at her hands amazed. "I've never done that one before… I didn't even know I could… I just felt it… felt I could do it and then I did." Lee stood up. "That's quite a punch Kiba…" he stumbled and fell back over. "Well you said something about your chakra learning… maybe anything you see gets registered in your head?" Kiba said helping lee up off the ground. She thought about it. "Yeah that's possible… because I couldn't use water style or earth style until that fight with the rouge ninja's…" Kiba was having trouble holding lee up. "Did I hurt you lee?" lee groans. "It really took me by surprise… and it did hurt… but I think I'm alright… just not very… stable at the minute." Shino took lee's other side. "Walking back like this is going to take forever… I wish there was a faster way." Kiba said starting to walk forward.

"There might be…" Kiku said looking at her hands again. She pictured how Gaara had made the sand cloud. She massed a large amount of sand into a cloud shape and then tried to step on it. She fell through it. "Maybe I have to pack it tighter." This time she stayed on the cloud. But as she started to rise it began to fall apart. "The chakra infused sand I carry around on my back is easier to manipulate then ground sand that's why I keep it with me." She could hear Gaara's voice in her head. She pooled her chakra and placed her hand on the sand. "That's much better…" now freely able to get the sand to do whatever she wanted she put the cloud on the ground. "Is it safe to get on that?" Kiba said looking worried.

"Probably…" Kiku shrugged. Shino nudged Kiba onto the cloud. "It beats walking." Kiku begins to lift the cloud up off the ground. "I envy Gaara… he makes this look so much easier than it is… sit down so you don't fall." Kiba didn't have to be told twice. As soon as she said fall he sat down. Then she remembered about the man and she looked at her water lock. "What should we do with him?" she pushed the water down off his face. "Nobody can break water lock… but we should take him to the village… the Anbu will most likely want to ask him questions." As soon as she uncovered his face the man began screaming profanities. She lifted the water lock up onto the cloud of sand with other sand. Ok let's go back home and get lee some help. She couldn't make the cloud go as fast as Gaara could but it was still faster than walking.

Kiku dropped the sand cloud in front of the hospital and Kiba and Shino took lee inside. Kiku then put all the sand under the water lock and used it to push the water lock. She used this method to carry the man to the Hokage's hut. The door guard saw Kiku and sounded inside for more assistance. "Take this guy where ever it is that you take bad guys. I know he knows fire style so keep an eye on him." The guard and 5 other men wait for Kiku to release her water lock so they can take him in. then they bind him and drag him away.


	18. Chapter 18

Kiku wakes up in her tree house. It's about a month later and she's been seriously thinking about moving to the sand village. "I think today I will decide if we should move or not…" she jumps out of bed and runs to the training field. She sees all of her friends sparring with each other. "The leaf is so full of life… and my friends… but as Kazekage… Gaara has to stay in the sand village… this puts me in a difficult spot… it's up to me to choose what's more important…" she remembers Gaara and kakashi talk at Christmas. "I do feel it in my heart… but acting and feeling are two completely different stories…" lee and Kiba were sparring close by. "Friends they are always going to be here… but I could always come visit…" Kiba hears Kiku talking to herself and stops lee.

"You're thinking about leaving?" Kiba looked confused. "She is conflicted because she can't decide if she wants to stay here and have friends or be happy in the sand village." Lee said kicking the air. "Lee how did you…?" he laughs. "Kiku sometimes talks in her sleep it's very funny." She raises her eyebrow. "How would you know…? I don't live with you lee?" he stops kicking the air. "I sometimes go into the woods near your house to train. Often because I am already there I check to see if you're ok."

She sighed "that's creepy… but your right I was thinking about moving to the sand village… I feel like he needs me to be there…" they exchanged glances. "You should do whatever you feel is right… it won't be the same without you here anymore but… if you want to be with Gaara that's your choice." Kiba said turning around to notice that everyone else had stopped sparring and were now waiting to hear what Kiku was going to say. "Kiba is right… and I feel like I should…" she looks at her friends. "You have all been such good friends… I will miss all of you but I feel like… I'm not needed here anymore I'm going to go talk to Tsunade about moving to the sand… but I swear I'll come visit sometimes."

They looked a bit sad she had decided to leave but they wished her luck anyway. Kikumari and Neko walked to the Hokage's hut with their bag of stuff. "You want to leave the leaf? Why?" Tsunade asked sitting back in her chair. "Gaara… it's too hard for me to not get to see if every day… I want to be happy… and I want Gaara to be happy…" Tsunade smiled. "Young love… tread lightly the path you walk… love is but a cruel mistress who will rip out your heart and stomp on it. Here's the paper work… you go fill it out. I have a scroll to send to the sand before you can leave."

Kiku sits down and begins to fill out the form. About an hour later Tsunade comes back into the room. "Well good news is Gaara was hoping you would move so he's already got a place for you. And since you have nothing to carry you have no worries about not being able to carry your belongings. However… I'm going to need that back…" she points at Kiku's headband that she is wearing as a belt. Kiku undoes the tie and hands the headband over to Tsunade. "Thank you… I will never forget the leaf…" Kiku bows.

Kiku leaves the Hokage office. Outside the Hokage hut everyone is lined up. Kiku looked over the crowd. Split into two lines leaving the road open everyone in the leaf village that she knew was waiting for her. She began walking past all the faces and started to feel sad. She waved at everyone she past until she came to the end where lee and Kiba were standing. "You're really going to leave?" lee said looking a bit sad. She nodded. "You'll still be our friend no matter where you go. Don't forget the leaf." Kiba looked as if he was fighting back the emotions.

"I promise… I won't forget the leaf…" she hugged both of them and continued on her way. Outside the leaf village she looked back one last time. "Well Neko… we're on our way… this is crazy right?" the cat meowed. Once they arrived at the sand village they saw Gaara and his two siblings were waiting. She smiled and walked up to them. "Welcome Jōnin Kikumari." Gaara turned to Temari who stepped forward holding a sand village headband with a blue cloth like the one she had in the leaf. "Raise your right hand and put your left hand on your heart." Temari said doing as she just said. Kiku did as she was told.

"Former leaf village Jōnin Kikumari. Do you swear to always protect and serve the sand as if it was the home to which you were born?" Kiku nods. "Of course I do." Temari continued. "Do you swear to follow any and all rulings given to you by lord Kazekage?" Kiku once again nodded. "Yes" Gaara stepped forward now. "Then by the power of the Kazekage I hereby welcome you as a Jōnin of the hidden sand. May your new home here be just like your first?" Temari hands Kiku the headband. She takes it slowly then ties it around her waist.

"Alright so if you're going to live here you're going to need to change all this…" Temari said pointing to Kiku's outfit. She looks down at her outfit. "Don't worry I got this covered." She put her arm around Kiku and began leading her down the street. "You boys go find something else to do we'll meet you at home later." Before Temari pulled Kiku away she saw Gaara and Kankuro exchange raised eyebrow glances.

Temari lead Kiku to a shop. She pushed Kiku into the changing room and started throwing outfits in over the top. "Try this one and this one and this one!" Kiku looked in the mirror. "She's a little excited right Neko." The cat meowed and curled up on the changing room table. She tried on the outfit's one after the other but every time Temari shook her head. "No what was I thinking that's not nearly impressive enough try the next one." Kiku tried on the red outfit and tied her headband around her waist. Looking in the mirror before she decided to show Temari. "Oh I like this one… I hope she doesn't make me change it…" Kiku opens the door slowly and all she sees is Temari's eyes grow wide. "That's the one."

Temari paid the man behind the counter and they left the shop. "This feels more right but… it feels weird not wearing the green suit Gai gave me…" Temari walked in front of Kikumari. "Ok so when we get back to the kage hut I'm going to use my fan to hide you… that way Gaara doesn't see you right away. So don't say anything k." Kiku nodded. "Ok the big reveal got it." They walked in and Temari looked around. "Good they aren't in here…"

She pulled her fan off her back and opened it up. "Hey boys were home!" they both walked out of the kage office and stood at the front of the steps. Kiku couldn't see what was going on but she could hear them talking. "Temari? Where is Kiku?" suddenly the fan was moved and she saw Gaara blush when he saw her new outfit. "Wow Temari she looks amazing!" Kankuro said to Temari. She nodded. "Yes I am so amazing aren't I?"

Kiku waited for Gaara to say something but he just stood there with his mouth hanging open. Kankuro nudged him in the arm and he seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking. "Hum? Oh right! Um… it looks great…" she smiled. "So where is she going to stay?" Temari looked up at Gaara. "Well last time she visited she just slept here so I figured why not." The sun was beginning to set out side so she decided it was better than a tree and walked up the steps. "I have a little more paper work…" Kankuro stopped Gaara. "I'll handle it today… its mostly just job requests anyway you go help Kiku get settled." "Are you sure you can do it without me?" "Yeah I got this."

Gaara nodded and then lead Kiku down the hall. "So what made you finally decide to move?" he asked without turning his head. "I was missing spending time with you…" he turned red. "Oh…" she giggled. "I learned how to do the sand cloud… I even got to use it a couple weeks ago." He raised an eyebrow. "How is it you can do that?" she herself wondered "I just knew I could… Kiba thinks the reason I can use so many jutsu is because my chakra can learn things just by me seeing them" he nods. "Wouldn't that mean that you possess all chakra types?"

"I don't know last time I did the paper thing I had only seen wood style and water style jutsu… but I would suppose if that was true about learning it when I see it… then I would also know lightning and fire styles now…" Gaara shudders "it's almost scary to think how powerful you'd be if you were a jinjuriki. I could see you single handedly destroying ever village… you know if you wanted to." She thought about it for a moment. "What's it like being a jinjuriki?" "It's like having a demon inside you who every day tries rip you apart from the inside. Who's always in your head telling you what to do… ones like Naruto have very good relationships with their tailed beasts. Ones like myself were controlled for a long time and hurt innocent people. After I met Naruto I gained a little more control and I started to become friends with Shikaku that was until I was killed."

"Being dead certainly would do that wouldn't it. Do you remember it at all?" he nods. "It was like I was a disembodied soul with no purpose… no existence…" they arrived at the room door. "Let's talk about something else… this topics starting to bum me out." Gaara nodded his head and pushed the room door open. The room to Kiku looked just the same as last time but something was different and she couldn't figure it out. "What's different?" he pointed "new closet." It was then Kiku noticed there was a closet with a double sliding door.

"I see you pulled the bed away from the wall and got a second table too." She said nudging Gaara in the side. "You weren't waiting for me were you?" he nodded. "Actually I did that today after I got word from Tsunade that you had decided to move." Each bed side table had a small lamp on it Gaara's had his teddy bear from Kiku along with the TV remote and the picture from their first date.

She noticed he didn't have any pictures of his mother and father but next to the TV was a recent looking photo of Gaara and his two siblings. Kiku sat on the other side of the bed and began to remove her things from her bag. Which was only the two books her teddy bear her picture with Gaara and the one of her parents. She set everything orderly on the table but when she got to the picture of her family she held it staring at it.

Gaara noticed this. "it's hard I know… this whole time you thought they loved you and then just to find out they gave you away to be experimented on…" she half smiled. "It's hard because I miss them… I don't hate them for what they did though…" Gaara's eyes widened in confusion. "But they betrayed you…?" she started to cry. "I don't know what made them do it… but I'm sure they did love me… they wouldn't have done anything to hurt me unless they had to… or they were forced… I'm just sorry I never got to ask them." she sat the picture upright on the table. Gaara sat down in deep thought. "Even though you now know your parents let this happen to you… you still… love them?" Kiku nodded "people makes bad choices when their stressed or backed into a corner… I wasn't old enough to know what happened back then it could have been that they just didn't have a choice."

"It's possible that my father… tried to kill me because he was Kazekage and I frequently destroyed the village… as the Kazekage now I find myself making choices that people don't always agree with but it's to protect the sand village… maybe… just maybe that's how it was all that time ago…" she climbed across the bed and sat next to Gaara. "Every parent loves their child… I'm sure it hurt him just as much as it did you…" Gaara grabbed his heart. "Maybe…" she hugged Gaara and it made him feel a little better.

They sat in the quite for a moment. "I never did get to ask him before he was murdered… but if it's true that he was only trying to kill me because I was a threat then I suppose I hold no ill will against him… I guess we'll never know." Gaara put his arm around Kiku. "Why is it that whenever I'm around you I can't help but smile…?" Gaara said with a half-smile on his face. "Probably the same reason I'm smiling all the time. Because you're just so awesome."


	19. Chapter 19

Around the beginning of April. Kikumari and Neko spent their days training with Gaara's siblings and when they weren't sparring or doing jobs they were hanging out with Temari in town. She now carries around a gourd just like Gaara's full of sand. This particular day was different though because Kiku was having a nightmare.

She was standing in the leaf village when suddenly high above the village glinting against the sun was a floating man. Suddenly the man was all that was left and nothing but a creator remained of the village. Everywhere she looked everyone was dead. She ran but couldn't escape the death. Then she tripped and slid face first on the ground. She turned to see what she had tripped on. There she saw the bodies of all her friends lying on the ground. All of them were dead. "Kiba! Lee! Everyone… everyone is dead!" the man landed on the ground searching through the dead bodies. All she saw was his orange hair before he looked at her with his weird shaped eyes she had never seen before… then she woke up.

She sat upright in the bed so quickly that it scared Gaara awake and he fell out of bed. "What's going on what?" he fumbled around for a minute trying to get off the floor. Then stood up and looked around. "Kiku… what's wrong… your pale…" she shook her head. "Nothing just… had a bad dream…" Gaara sighed and took a deep breath. "I'm glad that's all it was you had me worried… do you want to talk about it?" she thought back to the dream. "A man with spiky orange hair destroyed the leaf village… and killed everyone…" Gaara nodded "you had one of those dreams… I see. Your probably just missing the leaf is all." He looked out the window.

"It's ok it was time to get up anyway… when the sun comes up I get up. Hey you know what'd be fun to do today… lets go to the leaf for a visit." Kiku starts to get excited. "Yeah that does sound fun." Neko followed them as they walked to the office where Temari and Kankuro were sitting having a talk. "You guys can handle the papers today I'm going to go visit the leaf today…" they raised their eyebrows. "Why Gaara?" "Kiku had a bad dream last night so I wanted to ease her mind and the only way I can do that is to go there." They nod. "Yeah we can…" Kankuro starts but then Temari interrupts him. "I want to go too." "Guess I'll stay here alone then." Kankuro grabs a stack of papers and starts reading.

"Ok then come on Temari let's get a move on." Outside Gaara forms his sand cloud. "You coming Kiku?" she smiles. "I have my own." She makes her sand cloud. Temari jumps on Gaara's deeming it safer and they begin their journey. "Hey Gaara I'll race you!" she yells shouting forward. "Oh no you don't!" he laughs and cranks up the speed. Temari screams and grabs Gaara so she doesn't fall off. "Are you two insane?" the race to the leaf village is neck and neck until Kiku spots the destruction and stops dead in her tracks. Gaara flies past her before noticing she wasn't moving then he backs up. "What Kiku what's wrong?"

Before she even answers he looks down and see's what's left of the leaf village. "Oh no…" Kiku lowers her cloud down to where the gate to the village used to be Gaara follows Kiku silently. Temari is also quite. Kiku floats over what use to be the walking paths. She see's people in the distance moving and she hears them chatting. "Everyone is over there…" she rushes over to the spot and she sees everyone is bruised up pretty badly and covered in dirt. Kiba is standing next to Hinata who is badly injured. "Kiba what happened!" he turns around with a really defeated look in his eyes. "It happened so quickly… the village is gone but at least everyone's alright…" Kiku could see Sakura and Ino going around to check on everyone. Kiba called out to them and Sakura ran over. "She's hurt badly… can you help?" Sakura nods and begins to heal Hinata.

Gaara looked around at the devastation. "Where is the Hokage…?" the Hokage's assistant Shizune called out to Gaara from a little ways away. "Over here!" Gaara and Kiku run over. "What's wrong with her?" she shakes her head. "She's in a coma…" Gaara turns to Shizune. "Have you told the other kage what's happened yet?" She shook her head no. "Then we should start making up scrolls to the other hidden villages… I imagine they'll want to hold a meeting…"

"You guys have important business to take care of… I'm going to help whomever I can." Gaara nodded and then went back to talking with Shizune. Kiku turned around and saw Temari talking to Shikamaru. She would have giggled but everything around her was crushing her spirit. She saw a bunch of people standing around Yamato who was sitting on the ground. "Yamato sensei!" she ran over to help thinking he was hurt. "Kiku… you came back…"

"I'm only visiting are you ok…?" he shook his head. "Out of chakra is all but these houses aren't going to fix themselves…" she saw that he had built a few houses using his wood style. "I can help sensei." He raised his eye brow. "That's not possible Kiku… you couldn't possibly use wood style…" she shook her head. "No sensei I've been training and I found that if I see something I am able to do it. Look…" she showed him the fire style and then used kakashi lightning style.

"It must be because of your crazy chakra… alright if you think you can handle it… it's a combination of water and earth styles… you have to change the nature of both types and fuse them." She nodded and put her hands together. She used the hand signs she had seen Yamato use when he contained the nine tails. "Wood style!"

She placed her hands on the ground and the base of a house started to form. Then the walls began and a second floor gradually the structure closed off into a very nice two story house. "Wow I didn't think you could really do it…" he looked at Kiku who looked impressed then suddenly she fell over. She laid on the ground murmuring. "That takes a lot of chakra I wasn't expecting such a huge drain." Yamato laughed. "Yeah it takes a lot out of you but look what you've created… isn't it worth it?" she looked up at the house and smiled. "Yeah." Ino walked over and handed Yamato a bag. "I made a batch of chakra candy for you to help you rebuild part of the city… we really need to get the hospital up and running again… can you do that?" he accepted the bag. "Thank you Ino… yes I can do that. Kiku would you like to help?" he took one of the candies out and tossed it to Kiku. "Sure anything to help." She popped the candy into her mouth and her eye started to twitch.

She ate it even though it was gross. "Great candy… thanks Ino…" she smiled. "I'll go make some more!" she hurried away. "Alright Kiku lets do this… I'm going to need your help though. Here's the hospital blue print." She studied the blue print and nodded ok I'm ready. The both of them started their hand signs. "Wood style!" they both hit the ground at the same time. First the floor appeared and began to fill in then a frame built upwards and filled about four stories high and covered the top. The floors and walls began to fill while also the inside walls between rooms started to form and steps began to build connecting all the floors.

Once the last of the building was finished they both fell down. "Even with this gross candy rebuilding the whole town is going to take forever." They ate another candy and fixed another house for a couple hours, until they both felt like they were both going to die. "I don't know how you manage to do this Yamato… it's exhausting." He nodded "without your help it'd be nearly impossible."

Gaara comes around the corner looking every which way until he suddenly spots Kiku. "There you are." She smiles and waves trying to stand up but can't move her legs. "I have some news Kiku…" he sits on the ground next to her and looks at all the progress they've made. "I need to go to the land of iron… the other kage want to hold a summit there it's important for all the villages…" she nods "I understand." "I need you to stay here… and help you have the skill set for that… don't worry I'm not going alone… I'm take Temari and Kankuro."

"It's ok I want to help the leaf… lord Kazekage." He grins. "No you call me Gaara Kiku." She smiles. "How long will the summit be?" he looks up at the sky. "Should be about a week… it won't take too long…" he stands up. "But I have to go get Kankuro now so we can go." She stood up too and kissed him on the cheek. "You go show those other kage how great you are." He blushes a little. "Of course." He walks over to Temari and they both head away from the leaf village.

Kiku and Yamato help build new houses until they collapse every day for the next week. "Gaara should be home anytime… I wonder if he'd be impressed that we managed to get about half of the village restored." Yamato laughs. "I know I am lots of people have already been able to move back into their homes… the hospitals up and running again. We even have students back in school."

"Yes you both did a great job…" Gaara said sneaking up behind them. "Gaara your back! How was the summit? What did the kage say?" he was looking very unamused. "What's wrong…?" he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The fourth great shinobi war… is about to unfold." Her eyes widened. "War… you're kidding." He shakes his head no. "We only have a couple weeks to prepare. We need to go back to the sand village… I have a lot to do." She nods. "Sorry Yamato you're on your own." "That's fine I actually had something else to do anyway now where did that man run off to?"

She and Gaara flew back to the sand village on their sand clouds.


	20. Chapter 20

All shinobi were crowded together cheering after Gaara's speech. Kiku assigned to the forth division on Gaara's request was moving with the rest of the group. Ready for the first day of war. As the group moves she falls off to the side. "going to war this is so scary…" she sensed it right before it happened but didn't have time to scream before the ground under her grabbed her legs and pulled her down. Neko jumped off Kiku's shoulder when they came out in an underground cave. "Kiku my favorite puppet… so glad to see you again" she saw a face through the dim light. "Kabuto… is that you? You look way different?" he nods "you like it?" she readies to fight kabuto knowing he was one of the main reasons for the war. "What do you want?"

"I just came to grab my favorite little monster… and now I have…" she sends sand towards kabuto but before she can reach him two guys come out of the shadows and grab both of her arms. "Now my pet… you wouldn't want to use up any of that beautiful chakra right now… you'll need all of it for what we have in store. Zetzu… take her to the tree." They drag her away kicking and screaming. She tried to pull away but it's useless. They walk down the tunnels for what seems like hours then come to a room more lit up. The first thing she sees is Yamato head sticking out of what appears to be a tree root.

"Yamato sensei!" he looks up from the tree and sees Kiku. "No they got you to?" a root moves from the tree and wraps around Kiku sticking her in the tree with Yamato. "Damn it… how am I supposed to help Gaara from here?" She struggles. "Don't struggle it'll just suck out your energy faster." "I can't use my jutsu either." She says trying make hands signs. "Nope the tree drains chakra." She pouts.

"I can't tell what time it is but it feels like forever… how longs it been?" Kiku says to Yamato.  
"48 hours I think at least 48 hours…" suddenly the tree starts to move. "This can't be good…" the tree sucks in Yamato first. "Yamato sensei!" then Kiku. She finds herself flying across the battlefield landing next to Yamato. The last thing she remembers is seeing and bright color then she blacks out.

"Come on Kiku I bet you can't catch me!" Gaara said racing past her on his sand cloud. She didn't know how she got there but she wasn't about to lose a race with Gaara. "Oh no you won't!" they raced until they sped over the sand village where everyone smiled and waved back up at them. They landed in front of the kage hut and three children ran out jumping and screaming. She noticed they looked a lot like Gaara but also like her. "Oh these are… wait a second… that's not possible… unless I'm dreaming?"

Its then she notices Gaara is a little older now. "Aren't we just one big happy family?" He says smiling. She turns and sees all her leaf village friends with their kids that all look just like them. "Everyone looks so happy… I hope this is what really happens… I wonder how I came to be asleep though."

Suddenly she's awake again and on the ground she looks around. "What happened?" Naruto and Sasuke were standing side by side. Everyone else grabbed their heads and stood up off the ground. "So what now Sasuke?" she heard Naruto say. "I kill all the kage." At first everyone thought he was joking but then it was soon apparent he wasn't and he and Naruto ended up running off to fight each other.

Not far away she spotted Gaara who seemed to be extremely disappointed. "Gaara!" she yelled running over to him. He turned around and tears streamed down his face. "Kiku you're alright! Where have you been I was so worried…" she hugged him and he hugged her back. "I was taken almost as soon as the war started… through an underground cavern… they stuck me to a tree and I couldn't move…" he held her tightly. "Never scare me like that again… I thought I would never see you again…" she saw he was still crying. "Don't cry Gaara… I'll always be right here…" she wiped the tear off his face. He smiled and turned back to the other kage. "We should start gathering what troops are left and head home now…" the others agreed Tsunade turned to kakashi. "Take a small team to retrieve Naruto would you. And find out what's up with Sasuke."

The other kage began to locate their hidden village members. The sand ninjas that were left started flocking over toe Gaara. Kiku was smiling until she saw all her friends from the leaf sitting around in a circle. "Hold on… I need to go see what's going on over there." She walked over to see everyone was sad and lee was even crying. "What happened…" she saw Negi laying on the ground. Tenten looked up at Kiku. "Negi… didn't make it." Kiku fell to the ground. "No…" she remembered the first time she met Negi how he had stopped lee from hurting her by mistake. How he and her had sparred and trained together. Gaara walked up behind her and picked her up hugging her. "Shame… he helped me during the exams saved my life… we will never forget his bravery…"

They all bowed in a moment of silence. "Kiku… we have to go back to the village now… but I promise we will visit the leaf real soon." She nodded. "Ok Gaara…" she waved goodbye to her friends. Gaara led his group of beaten villagers home. Once there the group began to get smaller as people returned to their homes. Temari and Kankuro were the only ones left standing by Kiku and Gaara. "The wars over time to get on with our lives…" Temari said looking up. Gaara grabbed his heart. "I feel I can now… I'm so glad I was given the chance to talk to our dad… I would have never known…"

"Your father?" he nodded. "I'll tell you all about it when we get home."


	21. Chapter 21

A couple years later they are now age 18. (This is about the year they all get married so about 3 years seeing as my math indicated they were 15 during the war. because math idk don't judge me! I'm only going on assumptions here now as far as I know this information isn't public or doesn't exist… I feel like the kage meeting in the last chapter of the manga is when Naruto is the new Hokage and it's relatively new at that point. Also everyone has older kids that are in school. And everywhere I looked it said age 10 for school and 12 to graduate to Genin. This is how I've been basing my timeline. So if they all get married at 18 then when they become to age 30 their kids should be about 10… assuming they waited 2 years to have kids after they got married.)

Gaara rolled over in bed his arm flopped on Kiku who opened her eyes. She looked at Gaara who was sleeping peacefully and had been ever since the war ended. She almost didn't want to wake him but today was important. "Gaara get up… its Naruto wedding tomorrow we have to go to the leaf… come on." He grumbled and rolled over again. "One more hour…" she grinned. "Come on lazy bones!" he sat up. "Alright fine I'm up…" he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "The great Kazekage can't even get himself out of bed to go to his friend's wedding." She teased. He grinned. "I said I'm up I'm awake see." He points at his face but makes a really sleepy face. They both start laughing.

Gaara gets out of bed and looks out the window. "It's so nice… he's finally getting with Hinata. I wondered if he'd ever notice how much she cared about him." Kikumari nodded. "Yeah and I'm glad Sasuke came back too… I just can't believe that after all this time he and Sakura got together." Gaara laughed. "Yeah… and it wasn't that long ago my sister decided to move to the leaf village with Shikamaru." Kiku stood up and began to fix her hair. "Yes even Ino and Choji found someone for them."

They head out to the front room where Kankuro is leaning up against the wall at the bottom of the steps. "I wondered if you two were going to get up anytime today. Come on we're going to be late." He opened the door to reveal two men standing holding the ropes of three horses. "Horses? I don't think I can do this Kankuro…" Gaara said staring at the horses. "Well I'm not getting on your sand thingy again not after last time… come on you chicken." Kiku grinned. "Ok Gaara I'll drive… just don't fall off k." she jumped onto the horse. Gaara climbed up more slowly. "Are you sure it's safe…" she helps him up. "Of course it's safe…" suddenly the horse takes off. Gaara startled by the movement screams and grabs Kiku.

Kankuro is keeping pace and laughing at Gaara. "Hey Kankuro you want to race?" he grins "sure Kiku let me know when you're ready I'll kick your but just like before!" Gaara's eye widen. "You're not serious…" Kiku grins. "Consider this pay back for that time you went fast on the cloud my first time riding. GO!" she flips the ropes and the horse bolts forward. Kankuro starts to catch up but stays behind for most of the race just when he's about to catch up Kiku stops. Kankuro stops to. "What wrong Kiku?"

Gaara is staring forward eye wide open hugging Kiku so tight she can't breathe. "You're hurting me Gaara." He lets go quickly. "Sorry… I…" she adjusted her belt and fixed her dress. "Bout squeezed me to death what wrong?" he jumps down on to the ground. "I think I'll walk…" he took a few steps forward his brain still locked up. "Are you… scared of horses?" Kankuro was confused until Kiku asked this question then suddenly it made since. Kiku used her sand to pick up Gaara who was still in shock. "Guess I'll have to carry him to the leaf…"

"I didn't know he didn't like horses… must be that he's never been on one." Kankuro shrugged. "Can you make the cloud keep up with our horses?" Kiku nodded. "It goes where I go." He nodded. "Well then GO!" he yelled then got a head start. "Oh no fair! I wasn't ready!" she shouted then sped after him. They raced the rest of the way to the leaf at the entrance they ended up in a tie. "Your riding skills have improved Kiku. Good job." She smiled. Gaara looked over the edge of the cloud. "Is it safe to come down now?"

She lowered the cloud so he could jump off. "I don't like those… I'm sticking to my sand from now on." She jumped down and handed the rope to Kankuro. "I'll walk too then." Kiku walked beside Gaara until they got to the Hokage's hut. Next door to the kage hut is a small building of faith were just last month Temari had married Shikamaru. In fact everyone they know had gotten married here. Everyone that is except Kiku and Gaara.

They waited for Kankuro to tie the horses up and then the three of them walked inside the hut. "I'll just have a quick word with the Hokage and then we'll go visit Temari." Inside the chair is spun around facing out the window. "Lord Hokage… how are you today." The chair spins around to reveal kakashi. "Great thank you for asking." "Kakashi sensei? Hokage?" he nodded "I've been elected only for a short while don't tell Tsunade but it's because she's a little… old. So what brings you three to town?"

"Naruto's wedding." Gaara crossed his arms. "Oh yeah that is tomorrow isn't it… well then I suppose I should get my suit tailored… Kiku haven't heard from you in a while… how have you been?" Kiku nodded. "Great. The sand village is awesome." Gaara snickered. "Well it's great if you like sand…" he laughed a little to himself. "For the first time it seems like the villagers are finally at peace…" Gaara said looking out the window. Kakashi nods.

"These times of peace seem too good to be true. I'm thankful though because that means less work for me." He kicked back in the chair and put his feet on the table. "The sand is still piling up paperwork, how is it you don't have any at all?" he laughs. "I've been sending it to the sand village." She said laughing. Gaara frowned "are you serious?" he shook his head. "Of course not… Tsunade's been doing the papers…"

They both laughed for a bit then Kankuro cleared his throat. "That's right we were going to go see Temari…" Gaara said nodding to kakashi. "See you tomorrow." They shook hands and then Gaara walked out the door. Kiku and Kankuro followed behind Gaara as he walked down the street. "Temari is going to be surprised to see us." Kankuro laughed. They are walking up the sidewalk when Shikamaru opens the door. They wait on the side walk as Temari and Shikamaru step outside.

"Gaara, Kankuro, Kiku… how are you?" Temari put her left hand on her hip. "Pretty good… actually I need to talk to you… and Kankuro just real quick…" she raised here eyebrow. "You came all the way here to tell me? You couldn't have just sent me a scroll?" Gaara shakes his head. "No… it's important though…" he walks past Shikamaru and whispers something in his ear. Shikamaru nods. "Yeah I'll wait out here you guys go inside." They go inside and close the door. Kiku tried to follow them but she can't move.

"Oh no you don't Kiku it's a surprise… you stay put." Shikamaru leans up against the post near his front door. "Why can't I move?" she looks down. "Oh no fair Shikamaru! Using your shadow to hold me way over here!" he shrugs "don't be a drag Kiku. He doesn't want you to hear him." Shikamaru just continued to mind his own business until they walked back out. As soon as the door was opened he moved his shadow and let Kiku go. The three siblings looked very happy about whatever it was they had just talked about. "See you at Naruto's wedding tomorrow Temari." Kankuro said waving goodbye as they walked away.

"Where to now?" Kiku said looking around. Suddenly rock lee came running down the street. "I hear you were in town and now I challenge you to a fight!" he points at Gaara. Gaara takes a step back surprised. "Me? Why do you want to fight me?" lee laughed. "Because I never got to have our rematch! Come on my tijutsu vs your sand!"

"He's really excited… besides what could happen." Kiku shrugged. Without waiting for Gaara to reply lee jumped into the air and spun at Gaara. "Leaf hurricane!" even though nobody was expecting it Gaara blocked the kick. They started into an all-out tijutsu fight. Matching each other almost blow for blow. "Gaara's training has come a long way." Kiku looked at Kankuro. "Yeah he's been working just as hard as lee when it comes to learning tijutsu… but lee's been training longer then Gaara…" they watched them counter each other's attacks.

"Why isn't Gaara using his sand?" Kankuro put his hand on his chin. "Hey guys…" Tenten came up from behind them. Kiku turned to see her. "Hey Tenten I see you and lee are doing well." She sighs. "As well as one over excited person can be." (here I'm going with Tenten and lee are a couple because I know rock lee has a kid in the future… and right after that they show Tenten in the manga… she's the only girl to understand lee therefore I could see them together.)

Suddenly Gaara pushes lee off using his sand. "My sand is a lot faster now lee… it's going to end the same way it did last time." Lee grinned. "Then let's not hold back!" lee opens his chakra gates and the battle begins again. As they watch Kiku gets a dejavu feeling. "This fight looks exactly like it did 6 years ago." Kiku laughed she noticed he was leaving sand on the ground and she wondered what it was for until lee stepped on it. "Got you!" Gaara rushed the sand up lee's arm and leg just like he had done 6 years ago. Gaara then held it there grinning. "Got you lee I win!" he let lee go.

"Darn I was so close this time… well then it appears you have won this match but I will maybe challenge you to a rematch again another time!" he jumped up onto the roof of the nearby house and started jumping away. "Lee!" Tenten screamed running after him.

Gaara laughed. "Same old lee… nothing about that guy is ever going to change." Kiku laughed. "Yeah he's going to be the only one of all of my friends in the nursing home trying to train." They laughed.

-At Naruto's wedding-

"You may now kiss the bride." They kiss and everyone cheers. Music starts playing and everyone heads to the next room for food. Naruto says something to Hinata and then runs off to eat. She walks over to Gaara and Kiku. "Hinata hey." She nods. "This is the happiest day of my life… I um… I noticed that you two were the only couple who hasn't… anyway… since you're the only one I don't need to throw the flowers… and Naruto said I should give them to you…" she hands the bundle of flowers to Kiku. "Oh these are lovely thank you…"

Kankuro noticed that Kiku was now holding the flowers. He grinned. "Time for action." He went over to Naruto who nodded. "Attention everyone attention please." Gaara suddenly became aware that his plan was unfolding he started to get nervous. Everyone quieted down and looked at Naruto "Gaara has something he would like to say." Suddenly all eyes were on Gaara. He turned to Kiku. "These past years with you… have made me… happier then you can ever imagine…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box.

Everyone knew what was coming next but they waited quietly. Kiku's eyes widened when she saw the box. Gaara started to shake a little as he tried to remember what he was going to say next. Kankuro walked over and whispered in his ear. Gaara nodded. "Right…" slowly down on his knee he opened the box. "Kikumari will you take my hand and walk forever with me as my wife." Everyone was waiting to hear her answer. Now she was nervous everyone she knew was watching her. "Yes… I will." She helped him up while everyone cheered. He was still shaking from being nervous when he removed the ring from the box and placed it on her finger.

Tears filled Kiku's eyes. "Were you planning this the whole time?" he nodded. "Yes… I was… I wanted to surprise you… and I knew the only time all your friends would be in one place was right now." Kankuro and Temari both smiled from behind Gaara. "He was so nervous he didn't know if he could do it… that why he needed us to help him." Temari said picking food off her plate. "And he asked me to get everyone's attention for him so he wouldn't have to." Naruto said over a bowl of ramen. "You were all in on it?" everyone who she had met since getting to the leaf village nodded.

"Kakashi sensei?" he nodded. "Talking to me was to distract Gaara from his nervousness so he wouldn't show it around you." "Lee?" he nodded also. "A fake fight to distract Gaara from his nervousness." "I've been planning this for a month… Shikamaru helped me by thinking up things that could possibly go wrong. And then when I needed to talk to Temari he kept you out of ear shot."

Kiku hugged Gaara. "You're so thoughtful." Naruto smiled. "Now who wants cake?"


	22. Chapter 22

About 11 years later (they were 18 so add 11 years onto that and you get. 29)

Now married Gaara and Kiku live in the big house next to the kage hut. The house was built by Gaara after the marriage when his first child was about to be born. Now they have three children. Garku the oldest son looks just like Gaara but due to that his IQ is way high for his age he dresses smart and combs his hair down every day. Kira has her dad's dark eye liner but other than that looks like her mother Kiku. Then there's Gaara junior the youngest of the three looks just like his dad.

"Kids are you ready to go yet! We're going to be late for the kage meeting in the leaf." Kiku called up stairs. A parade of footsteps let her know they were on the way down. Gaara walked out of the bedroom wearing his kage outfit. "Morning sweetie." He smiles. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to you calling me that." She smiles back. "Big day are you ready?" he nods. "Yeah I know… I'm the only kage who's been around more than ten years going to have to deal with the newbies." He laughs. "Yes but its more than that right? Isn't this going to be Naruto's first meeting as the new Hokage?" Gaara nods. "Yeah it is." The thundering footsteps coming down the steps let them know the kids were ready.

"Dad! Can we go on the cloud today can we can we!" Kira the first one off the steps yelled jumping into her dads open arms. "I love the cloud yeah lets go on the cloud!" Gaara junior said jumping into Gaara's other arm. "The cloud is the best possible choice to get there in time… also the fastest means of transportation we currently have." Garku the smart one said pushing his glasses up on his nose. "I think that's a unanimous vote for the cloud." Gaara nodded "ok then I guess we're taking the cloud."

The two younger kids cheered and ran outside. Garku followed them but was less amused. Kiku and Gaara followed the spunky kids outside. "Now before we go you all remember the cloud rules right?" they all put their hands behind their backs and recited the rules. "Keep our butts firmly planted… no yelling or fighting… keep our hands to ourselves and don't use any jutsu while in motion." Kiku nodded. "They got it right first try this time." He nodded. "Well I think we are ready to go then. All aboard." He said starting to form the cloud.

The kids excitedly jump on the sand cloud and sit down. Kiku smiles "just like that dream I had when a saw that light…" Gaara nodded. "My dream that I saw would never come true but it was still a nice dream." Kiku nodded. They had talked about the dreams they had seen after the war when Gaara told her he had fought his father. Kiku and Gaara step onto the cloud and sit behind their children. Kankuro then gets on behind them. "Alright everyone rules apply starting now." They all became very quiet and folded their hands in their laps.

Once at the leaf village Gaara lowered the cloud. "We are going to walk the rest of the way now." He put his sand back inside his gourd and the family began to walk. "We are here… wish me luck." He kisses Kiku on the cheek and starts for the door. "Wait! Let me fix your hair." She runs after him and combs his hair down. He smiles and follows Kankuro through the door.

"Come on you kids I'll show you all the places I used to play when I was little." Kiku said looking around. "You used to live in the leaf village?" Kira asked. Kiku nodded. "Yes I did…" they didn't have to walk far when who showed up but lee walking on his hands followed by a little him. "Lee!" rock lee jumps up and lands on his feet his son attempted this but instead fell over. "Kiku good to see you!" the three of Kiku's children hide behind their mother. "Who is that mom do you know him?" Kira says. "He's so big and scary looking." Gaara junior says burying his face in Kiku's leg. Lee laughed. "Kids this is my childhood friend rock lee… we use to train together we even had the same sensei." Their eyes widen. "This is rock lee… that you tell us stories about all the time?" Kira stared in disbelief.

Gaara junior started to get excited. "He's the one that dad fought in the Chūnin exam when he was little! Right mom?" Kiku nodded. "Wow three kids Kiku… that's quite a lot…" she nodded "I wouldn't trade them for anything." Lee nodded. "And I wouldn't trade mine either…" the little lee runs over to Kiku's oldest son Garku. "Hi! I'm little lee. What's your name?" Garku pushes his glasses up. "It seems it'd be only appropriate I tell you mine since you said yours first… I'm Garku." Little lee sticks his thumb up and smiles big. "Awesome! And who's the other two?" he said pointing. "My sister Kira… and my brother Gaara II."

Kiku sees Temari and Shikamaru walking with their son Shikadai. "Look kids there's auntie Temari." Temari sees them and walks over. "Here for the kage meeting? Should have known. How are you?" Temari looked at all three of Gaara's children and smiled. "It's been great… the sand village is at peace. And things couldn't be better." She suddenly realized Shikamaru wasn't inside. "Wait aren't you supposed to be inside with Naruto?"

"That's the thing he isn't hear yet we were supposed to meet here. What a drag." Suddenly Naruto ran up. "Sorry I'm late lets go Shikamaru." They walked into the building. "Auntie Kiku… can we go play now?" the four kids looked up her with big round eyes. "Ok but don't go too far." Temari watched them run off to play in the field. "Ino and Choji are supposed to be here any minute with their kids… they were going to talk about their family group thingy what did they call it… ino-shika-cho?" Kiku nodded. "Yeah it's a good combo attack." Temari nodded.

From behind a group of trees Choji and his wife came walking out with their kid followed by Ino and Sai. Chouchou, Choji's daughter ran off to play with the other kids. "Ino… where's your daughter?" Choji said looking around. She sighed "she was supposed to be here…" she looked around but didn't see her. "I'm here…" the shy little girl crept out of the bushes and ran over to his mother. "Inojin you really have to stop doing that… you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

She bowed her head. "Sorry…" Ino sighed again "why don't you go play." The others grouped together leaving lee and Kiku alone. All between them was weird silence until lee got bored. "Let us train like old times." Kiku grinned "alright you're on lee! What's the task?" He thinks for a minute "head stand running!" she laughs. "First one around the field wins!" they both jump onto their hands and the race begins… the kids notice them racing. "Go dad go!" little lee yelled jumping up and down. "Dude your parents are weird…" a new face joined the party. They turned to the girl. "And you are?" Garku says pushing his glasses up. "Salada… nice to meet you."

Hinata joined the group of parents and her and Naruto's children joined the others playing. "My dad's not weird!" little lee said standing on his hands. "This is critical training!" Kira saw lee's son walking on his hands. "My mom thought me that way too. See said that's how her sensei thought them." She too stood on her hands. "You want to race Kira?" little lee said smiling upside down. "I bet I'll win!" Kira said back. "You're on!" they started running around in circles on their hands. "Well then the apple didn't fall far from the tree did it?"

"Perhaps you have misjudged the importance of this training." Garku said pushing his glasses up. "It's all about upper body strength the more they do this the stronger they get… that adds more attack power to any tijutsu moves." Salada rolls her eyes. "Whatever egg head." "Hey layoff them salad." Bolt said crossing his arms. "It's salad! Why do you always call me salad!" he smirks "I bet you have no idea who your even talking to do you?" she shrugs "what's it matter?" bolt laughs. "I can't believe you don't know… these three are the kazekage's kids." Her eyes widen. "Seriously?" he nods. "Yeah you can tell they look just like him."

Salada looks at the two adults running around on their hands. "That means the weird girl is…?" bolt nods. "Kazekage's wife." Her mind equals blown. She bows "I didn't know… I'm sorry…" "Salada are you playing nice with the other kids?" her mother Sakura yells from the group of adults. "Yes mommy!" she turns back to Garku. "So they do that to train their upper bodies?"

Garku adjusts his glasses. "Yes they do… its tijutsu training." Salada tries standing on her hands but loses her balance and falls over. "It's harder than it looks… how are they so good at it then?" Garku tried to hold back a giggle. "It is harder than it looks… but we've been training for years so we are used to it." Suddenly bolt yells "Tag, your it!" tags Salada and then runs away. "I'll get you bolt!" she runs after him. "No tag backs!" a game of tag between all the children begins.

Kiku and lee make it back to where they started Kiku is the first on her feet. "I see you have kept up with your training." Lee sits on the grass. "Not bad yourself lee." Kiku looks over at the kids and sees them all playing. "It's so great that they are all getting along." Lee nods.

The meeting of the kage ends and the other 3 head home to their villages. Naruto and Gaara join the family group. Soon the group splits into different sections again. Naruto and Hinata join the conversation with Ino, Sai, Choji, Choji's wife, and Shikamaru. Gaara and his siblings all begin talking. Sakura takes Salada home. After only a few minutes Naruto and Hinata leave with their two children. As soon as Naruto leaves Shikamaru gathers the ino-shika-cho kids and they begin their lessons. Leaving only Kiku, Gaara, Kankuro, and lee. They watch the kids play. "I hope this peace lasts forever…"

 **The end**


	23. insert

i started posting on a new site called wattpad because it makes posting easier. all of my stories have at one point or another been RE-WRITTEN or changed up a bit so i'm going to post this little insert before the beginning of all my stories in hopes that it re-directs an audience that would like to read more of my stories.

since i want this section to have some kind of meaning i'll use it to advertise some of my best stories on wattpad for the people who don't know what i write about.

Firstly i will start by adding that EVERY story i have on AS BEEN RE-WRITTEN on wattpad and has either been fixed or made much easier to read, so if you read something of mine that you liked but you couldn't quite understand it then you might just find that i have fixed or better explained whatever the story was lacking.

Secondly i will list out the different many shows or games that i write about on my profile.

Kingdom hearts,

Legend of Zelda (ocarina of time, twilight princess, and breath of the wild),

Tinkerbell (the adventures of the no talent fairy),

Yu-Gi-Oh (these are mostly the characters in real life settings but i've only ever written about bakura and yami bakura),

How to train your dragon (Sneeze and her pink nightfury Joy),

Gravity Falls (Darkness Falls revival),

Cartoonnetwork Town (a town in which old cartoons live),

Avatar the last airbender (mostly reader or OC x Zuko stories),

Harry Slytherin (currently about halfway through book four but the series was RE-DONE so lots of stuff is different now.),

Dragon ball z,

Naruto,

NCIS (Navy criminal investigative service),

Dick figures,

Pokemon,

Rise of the guardians.

and probably a bunch more that i just don't feel like looking up cuz i have over 60 works published on wattpad.

you can find me on watty by typing ' littlejadelady ' into the search bar. happy huntings everyone ;)


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